This January proved to be a particularly exciting month for releases, quite
frankly delivering 'something for everyone', a couple of new ventures - and a
good deal of sizeable comebacks from some of our most respected artists. With so
many reviews passing through these pages though, it could be quite easy to miss
something special, or avoid making a poor purchasing decision.
Thusly, in a
reprise of a previous short-lived regular feature, DiS gives you the ten records that
aren't necessarily the best, nor the most high-profile, but arguably the LPs
which have raised the most eyebrows or sent people limp with disappointment.
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Mercury Rev - The Secret
Migration
'The Secret Migration' is a wonderful record,
full of exquisite indie-rock epics. But so was the last Mercury Rev
record. And the one before that. So what’s changed? Nothing,
basically...
read
Michael Diver's full article |
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...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead -
Worlds Apart
The Texas noise
merchants deliver their fourth full length amid clamours from the faithful
and boos and hisses from everyone else. The album looks set to widen the
gap between Trail of Dead's fans and their detractors. There will be
bloodshed, oh yes..
.read Nick Cowen's
full article |
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Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake,
It's Morning
Never before have we so desperately needed a
better philosophy to sink deep into the international conscience. Never
before have we needed drunk poets to help us make sense of the world. A
world that's so matter of fact with its death toll headlines and
information overload, whilst all these spectacle stats seem so desperately
lacking in any humanity, kindness or truth.
What are we meant to think
or feel? Enter stage left: The tuned-in voice of an Americanized
and globalized generation...
read Sean Adams'
full article |
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Gruff Rhys - Yr Atal
Genhedlaeth
SFA mainman creates an LP that's full of the
traditional Gruff sing-song melodies, proving that no matter how much you
strip it down, Gruff is blessed with an alchemist’s musical
touch...
read Gareth
Dobson's full article |
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Twin Zero - Monolith
Epic
prog-metal? Not Tool? EH?! This is the supergroup product of the recent
British metal underground. Twin Zero have arrived boasting a gamut of cult
heroes in ex-members of Sunna and Earthtone 9 as well as a gamut of
drummers, one of which is a casualty of the first reality rock band, Vex
Red. This band seem to be finally grounded and sitting on a record this
solid, there could well be fruit borne of this sizeable
talent...
read Raziq Rauf's full
article |
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LCD Soundsystem - LCD
Soundsystem
The irony of LCD System offering their first
full fruits outside of their hipster timezone is that, with all these edgy
guitar bands who embrace electronics at the moment, it all sounds soen
vogue…
read Gareth
Dobson's full article |
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Chemical Brothers - Push The
Button
The Brothers Chem return to follow up 'Come
With Us'. Quite simply, rumours of dance music’s death have been
greatly exaggerated...
read Matt D'Cruz'
full article |
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Bright Eyes - Digital Ash in a
Digital Urn
Conor Oberst has successfully shown that
he is capable of lending his talents to a myriad of styles, showcased over
this album and its sister release. He is one of the most naturally
talented songwriters of our time, of this time, and for that he
deserves all the acclaim that's come his way. What he’s not, yet, is
perfect, nor is he 'sweet' in any meaning of the word. But be honest;
would you want him that way?
read Michael
Diver's full article |
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The Others - The Others
Riding
on Pete Doherty's coat tails is a full time business nowadays, but with
The 'Tines out of action, and Babyshambles f*cking their chances up by
missing every gig they can, it seems the next in line for the throne are
The Others. Peddling a slightly more simple, sparse form of what The
Libertines did best, their eponymous debut album sees them throwing down
all the tracks that make up their energetic live show, but will it stand
up as "Definitely Maybe for the 2000’s", or will it become as classic as
the first Northern Uproar album?
read Alex Wisgard's
full article |
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M83 - Before the Dawn Heals
Us
Of their second album, 'Dead Cities, Red Seas &
Ghosts', M83's bio says that they "freed themselves of outside
influences". If that's the case, French electronic wunderkind Anthony
Gonzalez has dived back into the melting pot for this, their third
adventure in interstellar soundscapes that evoke the silver screen as much
as the many influences that pepper Before The Dawn Heals
Us.
read Gen
Williams' full article |
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DiScuss: What are your albums of the month? Which are the best/worst?
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