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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: King Krule - The Ooz

Sunday evenings are traditionally reserved for reclining in a state of hazed relaxation for as long as physically possible. A sleepy air descends upon the climatic hours of the weekend, you grasp tightly onto the feeling of not having to fulfil any commitments. And yet there is, always lingering in the background, a sense of agitation. The calm is impeded by a menacing presence, the knowledge of something inevitable and an uncertainty of what has happened or will reveal itself in due course. The Ooz has all the sonic hallmarks of a Sunday night: Calming, alluring, hypnotic, but also audacious, anxious and jittery.

Archy Marshall, the 23 year old behind the moniker King Krule (and Zoo Kid, before that) has always been a few steps ahead of himself. His debut single, ‘Out Getting Ribs’ was released when he was just 16 years old, the song’s title is a reference to a Jean-Michel Basquait piece. The lyrics were sophisticated and mature, critics placed the teen atop a pedestal as a voice to define future generations. He wasn’t tarnished with any begrudgery from either his elders or contemporaries because his talent and cultural knowledge always felt genuine. Two albums ensued (one under his own name, separate from the King Krule project), praise and fame continued to swell and then creative exhaustion set in. Now, the musician sounds refreshed and inspired by the act of “refining the subconscious creations that you do constantly”. That is, according to Marshall, what The Ooz aims to capture.

Powering through the transitioning period of teenager to a twenty-something, Marshall is ambitious in his return with The Ooz. Over the course of the 19 songs (clocking up to 65 minutes) the listener is lured into an unabashed seductive ambience. The languid progression in the opening section to the record from ‘Biscuit Town to ‘Bermondsey Bosom (Left)’ embody that aforementioned hazed relaxation. They possess the tempo and tone that is best enjoyed in a darkened room with little distractions. Known for his rasping vocals that could easily pass for a man twice his age, Marshall sings about a period of feeling depressed (‘Midnight 01 (Deep Sea Diver)’), and being alone (“Is there anybody out there? ‘Cause I’m all alone”). A looming cloud of loneliness and the chase of filling a void through excess unifies these songs in creating a narrative and overall defining theme to the album. Marshall’s advancement and maturity has made him a sort of peripheral character which is nicely captured on ‘Czech One’; “She asked me why I’m here / But I come here every night. Do you need to tell her something? / No, I need a place to write.”

King Krule has managed to adhere to a niche sound – a sort of punk-jazz – and has shown no hesitation to expand the genre and not be constricted to any one formula in his instrumental arrangements. While this is a predominantly sombre sounding record there are moments of high energy in ‘Dum Surfer’, the album’s highpoint, ‘Emergency Blimp’ (which makes for a nice companion piece to ‘Easy Easy’ from 2013) and ‘Half Man Half Shark’. Each song manages to unfurl different rhythms and even evoke a different time periods – the ‘Bermondsey Bosom’ duo, ‘Logos’, ‘Lonely Blue’ and ‘La Lune’ create a crooning lounge club singer vibe of the late 1950s – ensuring each track’s individuality. This is essential especially on an album of this length and breadth.

The sonic vastness and the stories embedded throughout The Ooz make it an album that you want to return to regularly. It is not always immediately accessible but as you revisit the record – maybe taking a handful of songs at a time, particularly in the initial stages of listening – the warmth and comfort relished in the final hours of a weekend will wash over you without having to think about what you’re listening to. That’s what The Ooz is.

This review was originally published on The Thin Air.

http://thethinair.net/2017/10/king-krule-the-ooz/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Ghostpoet - Dark Days + Canapés

Dark Days + Canapés echoes an abhorrent sentiment of many songwriters today – critiquing the abnormal global dependency on social media, immigration and general societal induced unease.

Musically, these twelve songs juxtapose both energetic and sombre instrumentation.

Arresting piano chords (Dopamine If I Do, One More Sip) and reverberating distorted guitar notes (Many Moons At Midnight, End Times) create an atmosphere that is simultaneously inviting and indignant.

This review was originally published in the September issue of Totally Dublin.

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/audio-review-ghostpoet-dark-days-canapes/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson

Inspired by the autobiographical writings of Bobby Jameson; a story similar to Rodriguez – an underground musician presumed dead for decades only to resurface in an unassuming fashion.

Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is a concept album based on the various tragic stories of impermanence retold by Ariel Pink in a series of synth and drum machine laden melodies.

Ariel Pink’s eleventh record maintains the lo-fi hypnagogic pop hallmarks that garnered praise circa 2010’s Before Today while demonstrating a sonic progression clearly signified in singles, Another Weekend and Time To Live; two songs amidst a plethora of vibrant arrangements.

This review was originally published in the September issue of Totally Dublin.

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/audio-review-ariel-pink-dedicated-to-bobby-jameson/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Rostam - Half-Light

In a recent interview to promote his debut solo album, Rostam Batmanglij told The New Yorker: “Many of the songs on Half-Light feel as though they could have become Vampire Weekend songs except that they go somewhere else entirely. My music is about identity. This album is about identity.”

To a certain degree he wasn’t wrong. The majority of his solo endeavour could easily find a home on one of Vampire Weekend’s three albums. With regard to the musical identity presented in this record one can extensively hear sonic traits honed throughout his tenure with his former band. Naturally, similarities between Vampire Weekend and any solo work were bound to occur, given that Rostam was their key songwriter – along with Ezra Koenig – and produced their three albums. But it is also almost impossible for an artist’s musical past not to be taken into consideration when they venture into a new chapter of their career. The differences between Half-Light and any Vampire Weekend album are at meagre at best. It just makes you wonder exactly why Rostam left the band to pursue the same sound.

It is a shame then that this album lost its way in defining a sense of individualism noted on some of his recent collaborations. Half-Light was one of the highly anticipated releases of 2017’s final quarter following the various production credits Rostam had collected from Solange, Haim, Charli XCX, Frank Ocean and Hamilton Leithauser. His collaborative album with the latter, I Had A Dream That You Were Mine received widespread critical acclaim. It was instantly accessible, endearing and generally, a consciously compiled record. It had a narrative arc and melodies that seamlessly complimented the overall story. It also stood out in the midst of 2016 being the year of Grime, Hip-Hop and R&B dominating the new releases.

That was expected from Rostam’s debut, a cohesive collection of songs with immediate likability. It was also thought that these songs would stand out and offer the ears of 2017 something a little different. Unfortunately, Half-Light is compromised by too many ideas, too many textures and not enough consideration to the art of creating a comprehensive album. Some of the songs that made the tracklist were conceived as long ago as 2006 and 2011, they don’t stand out as sounding dated but their presence is questionable. The inclusion of these tracks indicates that perhaps sentimentality clouded Batmangli’s editing skills on this overly-long album (15 songs mounting to 52 minutes).

The issue of editing trickles into the main issue with Half-Light which is that there are too many streams of ideas that don’t flow into the same pond. The singles that preceded the record’s release indicated a sound akin to I Had A Dream, with the title track boasting a bass line that could have been lifted right from the lead single off the Leithauser collaboration, ‘A 1000 Times’.

Four distinct moods are meshed together on the album: There are subtle nods to Rostam’s Iranian heritage (‘Wood’, ‘Never Going To Catch Me’, ‘When’), then there are the radio-friendly pop-centric-single-worthy songs (‘Bike’, ‘Half-Light’, ‘EOS’, ‘Gwan’, ‘Don’t Let It Get To You’) that are diminished by messy and abrasive arrangements (‘Hold You’, ‘Rudy’). The final pieces of the puzzle are the momentary – and necessary – palette cleansers that they are mostly fine. Had Batmangli opted to marry the mainstream melodies with the wonderful Iranian influences though, this may have been a very different, more consumable and exciting record. The densely computerised productions on ‘Rudy’ and ‘Hold You’ feel messy and unsure. It is those moments that tend to stick out in the listener’s memory and are, unfortunately, little more than off-putting.

It is a shame that this record is lacking redeeming factors as Rostam’s career to date has shown nothing but boundless talent and promise. In that same interview in The New Yorker, Rostam concludes that he aspires to make ten solo albums before he dies, each completely different. Let’s hope that he returns to the studio with more focus and a clear narrative for his sophomore album

This review was originally published on The Thin Air’s site.

http://thethinair.net/2017/09/rostam-half-light-album-review/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Zola Jesus - Okovi

To aid in writing and recording her fifth album, Nika Roza Danilova – better known as Zola Jesus –returned to the sparse landscape of her childhood in Wisconsin. In turn, the woodland environment itself contributed greatly to the inception Okovi and the soundscapes that pervade it. As a body of work, Okovi is unsettling, unpredictable and conjures the illusion of being lost in uncharted terrain populated by deafening drum machines, sinister synths and, of course, her incredibly powerful vocals.

It has been three years since Zola Jesus released new material. The interim facilitated a brief period of collaborating with Dean Hurley – David Lynch’s primary sound designer who recently shared a record of the arrangements he composed for Twin Peaks: The Return – and remixing scores by John Carpenter, as well as a marked return to Sacred Bones, the label that put out her debut album in 2009. The recent creative partnership with Hurley will perhaps draw the listener’s ear to reconsider how Okovi‘s 11 songs can be processed. There are several moments on the album that sound as though they are made to soundtrack a high action scene in a blockbuster film (‘Soak’), equally there are chilling chords that create suspense akin to the recent distant drone noise-music featured in the reboot of Twin Peaks. A filmic quality runs throughout the blueprint of the record. This subsequently lends to the listening experience of Okovi being slightly altered, becoming fuelled by its eerily dramatic elements. It wouldn’t necessarily be an ideal companion on a walk home at night, or something to nonchalantly play in the background. Instead, its purpose is to command attention in an unapologetically arresting manner.

For all this bold, magisterial quality, it is perhaps ironic then that “Okovi” translates directly from Slavic to mean “shackles”. Perhaps though it is the listener who is shackled, arrested and ensnared by the album’s sonic fervour. It serves to further suggest that we should think beyond the convention of how to listen to this sort of music, particularly pop compositions coloured using a darker and vaster palette.

It’s not to say that Zola Jesus has reinvented the genres in which she is working in though. Far from it. With an open ear you can easily trace a hint of mercy or uncertainty in Okovi‘s grip, with similarities to be drawn to the meditative tones on Weyes Bloods’ Front Row Seat To Earth. Also audible is a semblance to melancholic strings typically associated with one Lana Del Rey.

The similarities to such artists are few however, with Zola Jesus’ music being far less immediately accessible. Instead, “dramatic” is the word that recurs when describing this album, especially in how the sonic textures are created through various patterns of weaving and layering drum machines, synths and vocals, the latter being an exceptionally distinct dramatic aspect of the music. While not particularly shocking by any stretch, the lyrics remain striking on top of deft instrumental density. Industrial, noise fused music can at times bee intimidating or evasive, and there are certainly moments on Okovi (‘Exhumed’) that are not immediately appealing, but given time and compartmentalising of preconceptions, one comes to appreciate what is proffered.

Among the highlights on this record, the couplet of ‘Veka’ and ‘Wiseblood’ are particularly inviting due to the commerciality of their production. They both provide interesting and digestible melodies which will aid newcomers to Zola Jesus in becoming accustomed to her modus operandi.‘Doma’ and ‘Half Life’ work exceptionally well as the opening and closing tracks, affirming a sense of cohesion to the narrative, giving gradual introduction and definite conclusion to this chapter in Zola Jesus’ repertoire.

While Okovi is not an album for the everyday, it is one to venture to when looking to explore pop music with a refreshed, infinitely darker, mindset.

This review was originally published on The Thin Air’s site.

http://thethinair.net/2017/09/zola-jesus-okovi-album-review/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Arcade Fire - Everything Now

The most troubling time in anyone’s life is adolescence. And often, insecurities born during this time are masked by either acts of defiance or retreat as a way of coming to terms with the transitional phase. It is important then to note that Arcade Fire released their debut, Funeral, 13 years ago.

Prior to the release of Everything Now, the fifth studio album from the Canadian band, they engaged in several viral marketing campaigns, each news story or act as incredulous as the last, all garnering substantial media coverage. It began with a fake Twitter profile presented under the guise of a Russian spambot, and was followed by fake, premature evaluations and reviews of the record constructed by the band. Then came various fake news stories leaking apparent strict dress codes and restrictions for their shows. Finally, with the release of a new record spawns a cycle of new merchandise, in Arcade Fire’s case fake merchandise, naturally. A parody of the infamous Kendall and Kylie Jenner t-shirts, special Everything Now fidget spinner-USB hybrid containing the thirteen new songs retailing at $109 were created along with fake cereal produced to coincide with the release of ‘Creature Comfort’. A joke was created, the media were sucked in and an album just happened.

Considering the exploitation of the fake news phenomenon, and Arcade Fire’s #quirky way of interacting with media and fans, there is nothing to prevent us then from assuming that Everything Now is nothing more than a culminating factor of that campaign; a fake album. There are several reasons why someone could be forgiven for thinking that Arcade Fire are turning their music into a joke. It has all the hallmarks of a hoax when you listen to the lyrics and arrangements and see that there are three song titles that are in essence the same, as well as couplet sharing one title. The formatting of song titles bearing similarities is not uncommon (think of the ‘Neighbourhood’ series on Funeral or ‘The Sprawl(s)’ from The Suburbs). Listening to this album it is almost impossible to recognise this as the same group that wrote songs like ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, ‘Wake Up’, ‘No Cars Go’, ‘Ready To Start’, and ‘Reflektor’ though. The differences between the new material and everything before is so vast that any semblance of a comprehensive excursion of musical experimentation on their behalf comes off as dull and false. Upon first listen, songs like ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Chemistry’ and ‘Infinite Content’ are baffling. Aurally abrasive, and not in the good way. Not at all.

Each of the aforementioned cuts are awful for different reasons. ‘Chemistry’ takes us on a Jools Holland Hootenanny style walk through bad ska (what I’m choosing to call ‘Dap Pop’) that veers, for a moment into the same kind of guitar “rock jam” that is eerily similar to Britney Spears’ pointless cover of Joan Jet’s ‘I Love Rock and Roll’.

‘Infinite Content’ is a definite contender for the most nonsensical and irritating track of the year. Thrashing guitar, unapologetically raucous drums (again, not in the good way) and a shrill violin add to the annoyance of Win Butler shouting the words “infinite content” sixteen times amidst his “clever” wordplay turning the song’s title into an assertion of being “infinitely content.” The use of the word content is another indicator that this album is comprised of satirical jibes at the current culture of everyone thriving on churning out content, infinitely. Get it? The harsh rhythm of the latter transforms instantly into ‘Infinte_Content’, where we get to hear those two magical words repeated a further seven times to a lilting arrangement that could easily be heard on a Wilco album.

Taking on the persona of an established band is not limited to an impressive interpretation of Jeff Tweedy. ABBA are reborn on ‘Put Your Money On Me’, just imagine ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ mixed with ‘Voulez-Vous’ and you have Butler venturing into unsettling territories. It’s strange that a band previously championed for their individuality and inventive compositions, beloved for the swell of intricate musical patterns and textures and sincere, intelligent lyrics, have become so utterly void of individuality here. There is scarcely a pillow up-turned or corner searched that doesn’t expose more robbed, contrived ideas. All of that nuance has disintegrated into a body of work that is challenging to process, listen to or appreciate.

Musically, Everything Now is without hesitation Arcade Fire’s worst album, the vocals from both Win Butler and Régine Chassange are grating and require patience if you are willing to wade through its 47 minute duration. Moverover, the lyrics throughout are equally, if not more, troubling. There are pleas for fame, references to assisted suicide, substance abuse, self-harm and eating disorders in ‘Creature Comfort’. All extremely serious aspects of life that Arcade Fire are, perhaps, not entirely qualified to sing about, especially if one is to assume that this is an album built on parody. There are countless lines that make you feel embarrassed to listen to this album; “Be my Wendy, I’ll be your Peter Pan”, “I can feel you making eyes at me / Baby you can try, but you can’t deny.”, “Love is hard, sex is easy.”

There is a line from ‘Electric Blue’, one of the album’s singles, that is one of the only resonating moments in the wake of listening to Everything Now and evaluating Arcade Fire during this point in their career: “I can’t get my head around it.” The joke isn’t funny anymore and it’s unfortunate that a band with such talent have reduced themselves to a joke in a bid to provide a sort of social commentary that has manifested into an atrocious album waiting to be forgotten.

This review was originally published on The Thin Air’s site.

http://thethinair.net/2017/08/arcade-fire-everything-now/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder

Hug of Thunder marks a momentous moment in Broken Social Scene’s trajectory. It simultaneously evokes the past and demonstrates a maturity in the band’s focus in their output.

Overall, the song structures remain coherent to their long-established musical architecture. Though, few arrangements stand secluded like watchful towers overlooking clusters of buildings similar in design but distinct in their own colourful intensity.

Typically, a Broken Social Scene record is defined by an indulgence of chaotic composition; distorted guitars, enveloping drum lines and dramatic shifts in pace and tone. This is no exception.

This review was originally published in Totally Dublin.

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/audio-review-broken-social-scene-hug-of-thunder/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Toro y Moi - Boo Boo

If there was one word to describe Toro y Moi’s fifth album Boo Boo it would, unequivocally, be ‘crisis’. Crisis of identity, time and of coherency.

Maintaining a steady stream of consistency is a recurring issue in Chaz Bear’s music – it always has been. It is apt then that on a song entitled Don’t Try, Bear echoes “Give me no ideas, I just waste them.”

There are few redeeming elements across the twelve tracks, it would seem that more than one boo boo was made during the recording of this record.

This review was originally published in Totally Dublin.

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/audio-review-toro-y-moi-boo-boo/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Cindy Lee - Malenkost

Chaotic. Tender. Jarring. Infuriating. Infectious.

These are just a few ways to describe Malenkost, the current record from post-punk noise experimentalists Cindy Lee, the musical venture of Patrick Flegel, formerly of Women.

The softer moments (Always Lovers and Claim of Vanity) provide momentary bouts of comprehension to this otherwise strenuous and erratic deconstruction of the conformities of traditional composition.

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/july-audio-cindy-lee/ This review was published in the July issue of Totally Dublin.

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: Kevin Morby - City Music

Indie-folk musician Kevin Morby left no time for the dust to settle, releasing his fourth solo studio album City Music, a year after its widely acclaimed predecessor, Singing Saw. His latest offering continues to combine exuberant melodies with lyrics capturing the mundanities of everyday life.

The songwriter ventures sonically within perimeters explored previously. However, he does so without restricting his own capacity to wander. The album’s titular track is a prime example of moments where one can easily get lost within a world of Morby’s making.

Recorded with his touring backing band, another dimension is added to the tonal depth of the tracks. Veteran producer, Richard Swift honed Morby’s musical sensibilities with haunting synth lines (Come to Me Now) and overtly catchy hooks (Tin Can). Included amongst the twelve tracks is Flannery, a forty second excerpt from American gothic writer Flannery O’Connor’s 1960 novel entitled The Violent Bear It Away, featuring the story of a fourteen year old boy trying to escape his destiny and move closer to the city lights.

Morby has built a cult following from his early days playing with Woods and The Babies, however it’s his solo work that has garnered the most fruitful praise. City Music is instantly enjoyable and immensely easy record to listen to. It is inviting and very much in keeping with his contemporaries, Kurt Vile and Cass McCombs.

This review was published in Totally Dublin’s July Issue. (2017)

http://www.totallydublin.ie/music/music-reviews/audio-review-kevin-morby-city-music/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Live Review: BadBadNotGood - The Sugar Club, Dublin

Seven months ago, BadBadNotGood performed to a modest crowd during the early part of Metropolis Festival’s inaugural evening. Earlier this week, having recently played at Bonnaroo and Glastonbury, the Canadian quartet played two sold-out shows in The Sugar Club, taking time out of festival slots to put on a show where their music was the sole focus.

BBNG are known for their innovative approach to composing intricately textured, experimental jazz infused hip hop instrumentals that speak to even the staunchest purist of either genre. Their debut release on Bandcamp, I, caught the attention of Odd Future leader Tyler, The Creator back in 2011, subsequently granting the band several varied collaborative opportunities. Their impressive – and diverse – collaborating partners have included Samuel Herring of Future Islands, Mick Jenkins, Charlotte Day Wilson, Ghostface Killah, Doom and KAYTRANADA which has helped broaden their fanbase over the years. The variety of their fans was evident at The Sugar Club, where in close proximity one could see students in their early twenties grouped beside a couple in their mid-sixties. Both demographics displayed equal levels of enjoyment throughout the night.

Lesser Pieces, a duo comprised of Diane Badie from New York and Dubliner Mike Slott, played to an audience that had gathered from early for the sole purpose of seeing one of the most invigorating bands of the last decade. Surely that has to be slightly intimidating. Once Badie resolved issues induced by her microphone stand and the levels on Slott’s mixer were met the pair performed seven songs – old and new. Their set included ‘Washington’, ‘White Flag’ and their yet to be released single entitled ‘Ghost of You’. Despite the newness of the latter there was a brief moment of community amongst the audience when Badie invited the crowd to sing along to the chorus. The enthusiasm of the participation waned quickly and the impatience for the main act became obvious.

As BBNG prepared their instruments, audience members congregated close to the stage. While Whitty placed his saxophone on a stand on stage left an incense stick was carefully placed and lit atop the bass drum behind him. The aroma added to the atmosphere throughout the night, which it surprisingly continued to persist deep into the twelve songs played. Once everything was in order Matt, Alex, Chester and Leland emerged once again, took their spots and launched into a brief and energetic rendition of the classic James Bond theme. Before they had played one of their songs – let alone been present on stage for more than five minutes – they had the audience in the palm of their hands. The quartet have a warmth to them, they are instantly likeable. They take their music seriously (in both how they write their music and then in their focus when having to perform those compositions before an audience) and yet they don’t let their professionalism get in the way of their fun. On the second night of the Sugar Club gigs, Leland and Matt wore glistening shoulder length white wigs for the entirety of the show, meanwhile Alex commented on enjoying Guinness and being able to spend time walking around Dublin.

The set was densely populated with tracks from IV and III, songs with featured appearances were omitted, making it an exclusively instrumental evening of music. ‘Speaking Gently’ came first, the chime of the synth easing the ears of the audience into what would become an enraptured display of their musicianship. There was a good balance of their high-energy, rambunctious songs like ‘Confession Pt II’, ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Lavender’, (the latter being the undisputed highpoint of BBNG’s performance on the night especially with Whitty’s hip popping dance moves and simultaneously playing of tambourine and cowbell) and mellow moments, ‘Chompy’s Paradise’ and ‘Confessions’. They transitioned effortlessly between tempos, never losing a jolt of momentum between songs. Improvisation is one of the most beloved idiosyncrasies of jazz, and during the show BBNG excel in the moments where they take a song further sonically. ‘And That, Too’, and ‘Cashmere’ were just two instances of when the band indulged in expanding their compositions, making songs bigger and engaging.

The rapport between the band and audience was one built upon an immediate feeling of inclusiveness and fun which was established from the moment they began playing. The camaraderie between the band and audience occurred so naturally and instantaneously, perhaps, because the relationship amongst the guys appeared to be one where they clearly respect each other’s talent and enjoy playing music together. There were times during the night when members would leave the stage and give it to whomever was a key player in a song, and then rejoin when it was their time. One such instance was when Alex and Leland depart for the intro of ‘Cashmere’ and returned requesting the crowd to put their arms in the arm and allow them swing with abandon, which then leads to the pair engaged in a form of improvised dancing before promptly taking their positions at their respective instruments.

As the incense stick burned out and the fragrant aroma did its best to mask the smell of sweat, BBNG entered the encore segment of the show. Their reintroduction to the stage came with a cover of The Champs classic ‘Tequila’, another moment which elevated the playfulness that characterised the night. To close the show, ‘CS60’ brought the intensity of the performance to a heightened climax and a crowd that looked incredibly fulfilled by a band brimming with musical sophistication, fantastic stage presence and incredible songs that continue to get even more dynamic and accessible to all.

This review was originally published on The Thin Air, July 2017.

http://thethinair.net/2017/06/badbadnotgood-the-sugar-club-dublin/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Interview: Jesca Hoop

You’re set to perform in a cave for your appearance at Clonmel Junction Festival. Will this be the most unusual stage surrounding that you will have performed in? Are you looking forward to perform in a cave?

Well, if this cave is as reverberant as others I have been in then yes, I am very much looking forward to it. It may prove to be the most unusual setting, we will have to wait and see.

For a brief period in your twenties, you called a woodland your home and subsequently became a certified wilderness survival guide. Do you feel that your connection to nature informs your music?

Certainly. There is no greater wealth of inspiration than found in the wild. I draw from it, I go into it to renew and I remain connected with always as I traverse man altered environs. Men say dog is man’s best friend. I say trees are woman’s best friend.

You have been living in Manchester for a number of years now, how do you feel that living in England instead of your native California has impacted upon your music? How influential is an artist’s environment on their work?

I would imagine so, though I am sure that I can not distinguish just how it has affected me. After all, there are many factors that effect change in the creative process. With that said, I put big emphasis on environment as a place of nurturance and creative conductivity. Aesthetic is very important to me as a form of fuel.

Memories Are Now, your fourth solo album, was released earlier this year. It has been described as your most “complete and refined statement” and your “most endearing album”, thus far. It has also garnered full marks from numerous publications. When your work gets such incredibly positive feedback are you even more motivated to continue to push yourself with the next catalog of songs or, do you feel an insurmountable level of pressure to match that standard?

Every time I start a song, I begin again. There is no pressure now that wasn’t there before. The response to the work isn’t necessarily a pure or accurate measure of the work. It is just a response and there are many factors that influence the response. It is essential at a certain point to shut out external voices and to pull severely into the task at hand. At the start, I must withhold any kind of judgement. For a spell, when the time is right I must be the only judge. At the blank page, I begin again, the humbling puzzle work, observing the doubts and putting those doubts to appropriate use, stepping through them with a deeper knowing that my process is reliable. If I stick at it, my efforts will carry me through to a song… resonant and ever closer to home.

You have collaborated with a plethora of incredible musicians throughout your career. How do you find the collaborative process in comparison to working exclusively on your own? Is there anyone that you would love to work with in the future?

Every collaboration has its strengths and the dynamic varies with each combination. I love sharing in the responsibility and the surprises that come when you let go of control. Control, however, is not always easy to release. I would be keen to create a choir with Agnes Obel, Warpaint, First Aid Kit, Sharon Van Etten and … wait for it… PJ Harvey…. why not.

Tom Waits acted as a mentor to you in the initial stages of your career. Would fostering a new act be something that you would like to do? If so, what guidance would you give them?

Remain always lovely and kind. Stick to a work ethic and a code of gratitude and kindness. Leave a happy trail as I’d say. Be a grafter and get smart. Do not waste time, money or man power. The days of the indulgent musician are over. There is no such thing as deserving and entitlements are a mean joke played on you. Let music as a service be your motivator and personal growth your point of comparison. Draw inspiration from others and be sure celebrate their successes.

Are you currently writing new songs or are you primarily focused on touring at the moment?

Yes, I am in a mix between writing and festivals… not an easy mix really but fun and writing definitely go hand in hand in my book. The trickiest bit is the recovery time required after festivals can eat into your writing time.

As someone with an in-depth knowledge of surviving the outdoors, have you any tips for festival goers this summer?

Drink water, avoid blisters by proper footwear and bring band aids incase form trumps functionality.

This interview was originally published on The Thin Air, July 2017.

http://thethinair.net/2017/06/qa-jesca-hoop/

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Interview: Loah & Behold - Catching Up With Sallay Matu Garnett

Sallay Matu Garnett has been steadily honing her musical style as Loah, over the last five years. During this time she has collaborated extensively with some of Ireland’s prominent musical figures such as Hozier, Glen Hansard and Bantum. Quickly, critics and audiences became increasingly interested in the music she was writing and releasing as a solo artist. Garnett’s music is informed and inspired an eclectic mix of genres that she was exposed to growing up in both Sierre Leone and Ireland. Where there are traces of traditional West African harmonies you can also hear Western influences throughout her repertoire. Such diversity is what makes Loah such an interesting musician because there is no one defining sound that pins her creativity.

Earlier this month, Loah shared her debut EP entitled This Heart, five songs centred on the female experience set to soulful arrangements. Zara Hedderman spoke to her about finding her identity as an artist, the prospect of an album and the collaborative process of making music.

You grew up between Maynooth and Sierra Leone, how have both these, very different, cultures impacted upon your approach to both the composition of melody and lyrical content of your songs?

Essentially I was exposed to everything someone who’d grow up in Maynooth would be; rock, trad and singer-songwriters and, of course, pop and rap megastars that are popular everywhere. I would have listened to a lot of West African and Caribbean music in West Africa that wasn’t being played on our shore, at all. Although when I moved home in my teens my friend found a reggae dancehall night in Temple Bar Music centre that used to play Beenie Man! Needless to say, I was delighted. How this relates back to my process of making music can be traced to the references I make to the harmonies and sounds that I grew up listening to in my tunes and when I choose to use the languages I grew up with. Also, my mum is extremely passionate about music so I grew up in a household where everything was played.

I saw a description of Loah as being your ‘alter-ego’. Why did you choose to make music with the veil of a character or persona? Was it a conscious attempt to create some distance between you and your art or was it a means to delve into writing about things that are maybe outside of your own experiences and/or personality?

I would say it’s more the former than the latter. I feel like my greatest desire – and privilege, given the wonderful circumstances I find myself in – is to express myself. At present, that means music, artistic pursuit. And so Loah is this apparition of me. That could change. My soul might make different demands of me in 10 years time! It would be remiss of me to associate my entire identity with making music.

I like to be able to step away and be Sallay sometimes, who is much more than music, though music is my current love! It also does give me the freedom and permission within that ‘persona’ to extrovert and express perhaps more than I allow myself in my daily life. I grew up and became someone who has worked in a very ‘formal’ and traditional, non-creative profession, so it also helps to have a cloak that I can put on that acts as an escapist route into my imagination away from the more obedient and routine-centric side of myself.

At a young age you were classically trained in playing the violin and as you entered your teens you joined orchestral ensembles, sang in choirs and learned how to play the piano which led to you writing songs. Did you grow up in a house where music was omnipresent and instilled into you from your parents?

Absolutely. Both my parents adore it but especially my mum – she is so widely listened, has such enthusiasm and delight for so much of the arts and that rubbed off. She also drove me to innumerable music lessons, concerts and encouraged me to practice with the patience of a saint and the gentle encouragement of a true coach. I really don’t know how she did it sometimes, I wonder if she had one of those Time-Travel watches Hermione gets in one of the Harry Potter books so she can turn back time to fit in more stuff!

Do you think that your constant participation in musical outlets such as choirs and the Trinity Orchestra gave you more confidence to pursue music as a career and perform in front of large crowds of people and also teach you how to work collaboratively?

I would say yes to all of the above. I also fronted a band in college called Jazzberries which helped me explore moreso the kinds of gigs I do now. Still though, when I started putting out videos as Loah I wasn’t very confident – I didn’t fully feel like a lead ‘artist’ or a musician, if you will. I’m still growing into that self-concept because there is always more work to be done, to be written, and I have lots to learn.

But I am more confident in my capacity to learn and change now and that’s where my confidence comes from, knowing that I have it in me to always grow creatively and meet new career and personal challenges.

In the last few years you have done a lot of collaborative work with several esteemed Irish musicians such as Bantum and Hozier. Do you approach how you work on other people’s music differently to when you are creating your own music?

Yes! It’s completely different. I might almost say I prefer collaboration at the moment because I put too much pressure on myself when I work alone. In a collaborative process there is a more clearly defined role for each person, and you’re literally doing half or even a quarter of the work if it’s a band yet you create this amazing thing that has everyone it. Plus it’s often more fun!

That said, sometimes it doesn’t work either. I do think, though, that in a successful collaboration the work can potentially become even more than the sum of its parts because each artist steps even more deeply into their own unique vibe yet totally bounces off something they could never have written themselves, which is innately inspiring.

Following on from that question, how do you feel now that you have launched your debut EP, This Heart, and are alone in presenting your music as wholly individual representations of you? Is that slightly daunting?

It’s less daunting than if I had done it sooner. As I mentioned when I started out I was a little more insecure so launching something would have felt scarier. Now I’m desperate to share work! I’m also surer of myself as a person and a woman, more focussed. I feel I can do both now; work with others and create alone and that’s a really great place to be. I needed to stand alone and go through that rocky road in order to graduate to this place though.

This Heart has been in the making for a while prior to its release earlier this month. Was there any particular reason why you didn’t rush the release of these five songs?

I was slightly in the public eye from the moment I released my first video, first song online. It got a great reception, way more than anticipated, but I wasn’t as ‘formed’ and secure a performer as the song themselves seemed. Bearing in mind I had literally just come out of studying Pharmacy in college.

Also, during that time I didn’t know how I worked best, how I sang best. There were so many things I needed to figure out. I think an EP was expected of me so I kept mentioning it, but I didn’t really feel like doing one for ages. I just wanted to gig, to be on stage and perform in front of an audience. There were band line-up changes. Most artists hide away and work on their sound and do all this stuff in the background, then release something out of nowhere so it seems like it hasn’t been a long time in the making. Whereas I made the ‘making of’ public, gigging and such and promoting every step of the way very visibly.

Honestly, I’ve been amazed by how interested people have been in my journey, and it has meant that there is a bigger appetite for my work than if I had sprang it on people out of the blue. I’ve taken as much time to grow as many artists I know, but just more publicly. I am confident I can connect with people in any gig setting now which has always been super important to me, and now I’m converting that to record as best I can. Also I did some acting in the meantime which was something I really wanted to explore, which has taken time away from music a bit but has also grown me as an artist. I needed to take the journey I’ve taken and I feel good about releasing now.

Anytime your name is mentioned in conversation people seem to instinctively react by solely saying, ‘Cortège’. What is the significance of this song to you? Why do you think that it resonates so strongly to Irish audiences, especially as the words are written and sung in the Sierra Leone languages Sherbro and Mend?

I often ask myself the same question! It’s definitely one of those songs that I feel ‘wrote me’ rather than the other way round. It came, at first, quite effortlessly and it always dictated that it should be Sherbro and Mende. As a result, I sing it with total conviction and the intention of the song – about feminine energy – is very clear in me, so it rings true to people.

Oumou Sangare is one of my favourite artists, she sings in Bambara (a language in Mali) and that has only ever been beautiful to me, rather than strange despite not being able to fully understand it. Listening to her all along as well as loads of other West African artists whose language I don’t speak actually gave me the confidence to write this song. It was as much written for Oumou herself, who is also a renowned activist for the rights of African women, and for my mum who showed me Oumou’s music, as my audience.

What is the most important thing to you when you are writing a song, especially the lyrics that you are going to deliver to the listener? Are you always conscious of your audience when you are writing?

Never. In times when I’m conscious of my audience, I don’t write at all! It has to be just between me and the song in the initial stages. Then I feel free enough to be honest lyrically. Considering the audience’s subsequent perception and reaction comes slightly later. I have adjusted tunes once they’re written so I feel more comfortable singing them in public. There is also the fact that an emotion you describe lyrically may be so real to you now – particularly darker ones – but it may not ring true in a while and so it needs to be crafted in a way that you yourself can keep connecting to later on and even deliver with conviction to an audience years after the fact. I’ve read Sinead O’Connor say, for example, that she doesn’t sing ‘Troy’ anymore because she doesn’t connect to the energy of it, but she can always, always connect to ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ and sing it with gusto. I am always conscious of that when I am performing.

You have defined your musical style as ArtSoul. What exactly is ArtSoul comprised of and what does it embody?

Artsoul simply means soul music, that incorporates the scope of all the musical art I love. I feel it’s still soul music but it might feature the classical harmony I played as a child, the folk that makes me sing, the blues I resonate with, the rhythms that move me, the poetry and languages that grips me, that my mind pieces together. All of it!

Have you been working on an album? If so, what have been your core inspirations and influences for the material you’re working on?

I am working on a second EP, first. But, I promise it won’t be as long coming as This Heart! I have a better handle on how I work now so I can streamline the process. I know my recorded voice more intimately, what sounds I’m getting into more. The next set of tunes is much groovier and rhythm-driven. Currently, I’ve been listening to a lot of afrobeat and hip-hop and generally having more fun in life, I’ve been more sociable than I have been in years! So it will reflect all that and the band will be more involved so it’s set to be more collaborative. I’m really looking forward to hearing the finished product.

What are your plans for the summer, will you be playing a lot of gigs and festivals?

Yep! A couple of festival gigs such as Body and Soul, Electric Picnic, Galway Arts, Clonmel Junction. Aside from that I’m going to be writing tunes for the next series and doing some exciting collaborations. After some really challenging months I’m feeling so thankful and so good about life at the moment and looking forward to making more sweet tunes. It’s a really exciting time for me and my music.

http://thethinair.net/2017/05/loah-and-behold-catching-up-with-sallay-matu-garnett/

Originally Published on The Thin Air, May 2017.

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Track Premiere: Autre Monde - ‘I Want My Enemies To Prosper’

Dublin quartet, Autre Monde (comprised of Paddy Hanna, Mark Chester, Padraig Cooney and Eoghan O’Brien) have been garnering widespread critical acclaim since they began steadily sharing new material single online over the last few weeks. It is no surprise that the band have been successful in quickly capturing the affection of their audiences following the release of inaugural singles, ‘Customs’ and ‘New Recruit’. These songs exude an exhilaration embodied by the inclusion of various musical elements from the 1970s throughout their arrangements; suave bass lines, wit scattered throughout the lyrics and energetic riffs that attribute to their power-pop sound.

These jovial tracks are followed by latest single, ‘I Want My Enemies to Prosper’, a venture into choppy post-punk. It signifies the surly side of Autre Monde, and certainly stands out amongst the three songs in their rapidly growing repertoire. The contrast is immediate, a stark introduction formed by thirteen seconds of repetitive drum beating to which Hanna’s hushed, spoken word vocal guides the listener into an atmospheric soundscape of fuzzy synths, an undercurrent of riotous guitar will take listeners aback. It is a brave indicator that the band are not reliant on one particular approach to making music; there is diversity and experimentation in what we have heard from them, thus far.

At one point, Hanna reveals a place of wonder in the song, “I’m gonna go to the lake where the moon shines bright” there we come across astronauts and crocodiles. It sounds like a magical setting, one where you could only listen to a song that sounds as punchy and fractious as ‘I Want My Enemies to Prosper’.

This is another great song from Autre Monde, a band that just get better with each release. There is no doubt that they will continue to prosper as 2017 progresses.

http://state.ie/features/track-premiere/single-premiere-autre-monde-share-want-enemies-prosper

Originally Published on State.ie, May 2017.

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zaraehedderman-blog · 8 years ago

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Album Review: (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket

When Philadelphia based multi-instrumentalist Alex Giannascoli was eight years old his older brother, also a musician, enlisted the youngster to play drums in his band. This early exposure to performing persisted into adolescence and Alex would eventually turn his hand to writing and composing his own songs. Giannascoli revealed in a recent interview that he found it extremely difficult to be himself around his peers, growing up. He concluded that the only time he felt truly comfortable in his skin was when he was making music.

In 2010, Giannascoli transformed into Alex G and he released his debut album Race via Gold Soundz Records, home to other underground musicians faithful to lo-fi sounds and no frills production methods. His working relationship with the label ceased after that record and Giannascoli would go on to put out his next two albums himself until his fourth album, TRICK which was picked up by Lucky Number. This union subsequently led to three albums which garnered praise for the originality of the songs. During this time, each album came in quick succession; a year, at most, between each. The promptness being a product of Giannascoli’s rigorously strict and controlled method of recording predominantly by alone, almost exclusively from his apartment allowing him to make his own working hours outside of studio restrictions. In the last two years he signed to Domino which has helped in advancing his career by opening more doors of opportunity. One such opportunity was playing guitar on a few songs on Frank Ocean‘s Endless and Blonde.

Now, seven years after his debut the 24-year old artist – recently renamed (Sandy) Alex G, a change implemented to avoid confusion with another musician of the same moniker – has unveiled his eighth LP, Rocket. Stylistically, much remains the same throughout the record. The lyrical content is succinct, the mostly one word (often monosyllabic) song titles remain, continuing to provide a stark contrast to the dynamism of the content. The familiar device of instrumental interludes proffering the perfect segue into a new sonic dynamic are present and, of course, the attention to detail in the many intricacies of the arrangements is done with what could be construed as an unassuming precision. However there is nothing accidental in a (Sandy) Alex G album.

What separates this record form its predecessors is that the tempo of the arrangements are distilled into three very distinct phases. The initial moments of the album are steeped in Americana influences, easing the listener into the 14 tracks. The first four songs embody various elements of the genre (blues, folk and country, specifically) with no subtlety. Opener ‘Poison Root’ combines Giannascoli’s external and internal worlds by blending a sample of a dog barking and an arrangement of lethargically frantic violins mirroring the dissonance of a near mumbling vocal. It’s very much a (Sandy) Alex G interpretation of contemporary country with its unpredictability. In contrast ‘Bobby’ has a tendency to come across as a folk song arranged in a very by-the-book manner. It is by no means unpleasant, the issue here lies in its lack of experimentation that (Sandy) Alex G is admired for. There is a sense of complacency to Rocket’s introductory tracks, a sentiment which returns in the final phase of the album. However, this is more than compensated for once the first of two instrumental songs, ‘Horse’, injects something different that is captivating and confounding.

The accessibility of the first section is drastically and unapologetically taken away from the audience with an assault of hardcore post-punk noise rock, hefty fuzzed drums, bass, erratic guitar patterns and overly processed vocals. The piano led single, ‘Sportscar’ softly brings us back to the Americana influences introduced at the start. It is unfortunate, if not frustrating that the intensity of the middle section is silenced. Had this more intense sound been given more time on the album this would have shown an immense growth in the direction that Giannascoli could take his music. It also would have made for more memorable and exciting tracks.

There are various narratives and characters created to allow the listener find something or someone to identify with. Whether it is in one of the more jovial songs, ‘Proud’ in which (Sandy) Alex G professes a combination of pride in his peers whilst simultaneously revealing his anguish of aspiring to match their level of success (both personal and professional). Others may relate to the darker, anxiety driven noise-rock ruckus that is ‘Brick’, easily one of the album’s standout moments. This is a song about discovering that someone close to you has habitually been untrue and the emotional boundaries that such betrayal builds; “Everytime you tell me something untrue / Puts a brick in the wall between me and you.” Thematically, it is universal and these are the songs that (Sandy) Alex G has always excelled in.

One of the most prevalent elements that runs through (Sandy) Alex G’s repertoire is a fascinating combination of function and disfunction. Rocket is fuelled by constant paradoxes throughout. Overtly basic lyrical content is married with dense and intensely arresting instrumental arrangements that are complex and take more than a few listens to decipher every musical element. There is an overwhelming sense of embitterment in some of Giannascoli’s words. At times his lyrics verge towards arrogance (“I never raised a kid / But I bet I’d do a good job if I did”) but then he quickly redeems his naivety with insights into what motivates him artistically (“Wanna make something that is true”).

The contrast of being earnest and being arrogant reflects his age and his world. Twenty-four is a time when one becomes aware and, perhaps, comfortable in their maturity. It is also when this ease of individualism doesn’t come naturally that you conjure a confidence in order to thrive. This combination is evident in how Rocket sounds when considered alongside his previous material. You can hear that he is a musician that is both extremely confident and self-conscious which is what makes (Sandy) Alex G such an interesting songwriter and musician. The complexities outweigh the conformity and keeps the audience compelled. While there is maturity to Rocket it is hard not to feel underwhelmed by the work as a whole, especially from a musician that possess the levels of drive and ingenuity that Giannascoli has in abundance.

http://thethinair.net/2017/05/sandy-alex-g-rocket/

Originally Published on The Thin Air, May 2017.

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