Beverly: The blue swan (Kanine Records, 2016)
El segundo álbum del dúo neoyorquino Beverly es algo así como una pequeño compendio enciclopédico de las últimas décadas del Indie-Pop. Drew Citron y Scott Rosenthal se permiten el lujo de facturar un puñado de joyitas como Bulldozer, Crooked cop, You said it o Victoria por los que ya merecería la pena dedicarle la atención a este álbum. Es cierto que al final del mismo decae un tanto, pero la mayor parte del disco es una auténtica delicia. Una maravilla donde encontrar sonidos que nos evocarán a Breeders, Echo & The Bunnymen, Lush, Ride o Pixies.
Si lo que te gusta es la sensibilidad y el buen Pop, pincha en el Soundcloud.
“After recording the first Beverly album with Frankie Rose on board, Drew Citron struck out on her own for the band’s follow-up, 2016’s The Blue Swell. Not exactly alone, since she had bassist/guitaristScott Rosenthal along to help out, but the vision is all hers this time. On the album, the duo takes a step away from the pounding noise pop of Careers in favor of something more nuanced and bigger-sounding at the same time. There’s still some of the earlier sound buried in the band’s DNA, but the guitars are just as likely to be jangly as they are noisy, the tempos are more in the midrange instead of fast and frantic, and Citron‘s vocals have a dreamier, sweeter quality throughout. While many bands have failed while making this kind of transition from scrappy to sophisticated, Beverly pull it off really well thanks to a few important factors. The production may be more expansive and a little slicker, but it never tips over into blandness. The effects, especially reverb, are used perfectly, the huge sound of the guitars serves the songs well, and the focus on Citron‘s voice at the center of the mixes puts her exactly where she should be. The songs themselves are very strong too, with Citron dispensing some lyrical nuggets of wisdom while writing lots of very sharp hooks and melodies. “Victoria,” a co-write with Pains of Being Pure at Heart‘s Kip Berman, is a perfect dream pop song that sounds like the Breeders on a sugar high, the rocked-out “You Used to Be a Good Girl” provides a nostalgic jolt of punky energy, “Lake House” is a propulsive bit of post-punk gloom, and “Crooked Cop” has a nice blend of Ride-like dream pop and peppy almost country-rock with a lovely vocal from Citron. There are also a couple tunes (“South Collins” and “The Smokey Pines”) that take a detour into hazy ballad territory, the kind of cloudy, soft-as-snow place where one might see Julee Cruise hanging out with Liz Fraser. These provide a nice balance to the rest of the record and show that Beverly have plenty of range. When you put together songs that sound great and have catchy melodies and smart lyrics too, it’s hard to go wrong. Add in Citron‘s pleasant dream of a voice and Beverly really have a lot going in their favor. The Blue Swell is a very strong follow-up to Careers, and definitively positions them as one of the best guitar pop bands around” (All Music)
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Celéstica publica nuevo single: En mi cabeza (Single, 2016)
El pasado mes de mayo, los madrileños Celéstica publicaron su último sencillo, este En mi cabeza. De línea continuista a su anterior producción, la banda continúa ofreciéndonos su peculiar y melancólica visión del Pop.
El Palacio de Linares: Ataque de Amor (Pretty Olivia Records, 2016)
El álbum de presentación de El Palacio de Linares es un disco que, ciertamente, sorprende. Sin ser un género absolutamente en boga (lo cual dice mucho de la banda), es cierto que actualizar ese Pop de raíces Folkies que suena a Feelies o Galaxie 500 tiene bastante mérito. Y lo hace fluyendo suavemente, sin ninguna estridencia (salvo algunos fragmentos de letras muy ingeniosos) y cargado de buenas canciones.
“Tras 3 EPs (Elefant, Discos de Paseo, Discos Walden) y 1 Mini-LP (Sweet Grooves), El Palacio de Linares se lanzan a grabar su primer disco largo, con formación y energía renovadas, el pasado mes de septiembre.
“Quería hacer un homenaje indisimulado y rozando lo patético a The Feelies, uno de mis grupos favoritos” (…)
“No creo que tenga mucha importancia el si forman parte de mi realidad las historias contadas en las letras”
Se juntan en San Sebastián, Raúl (Nuevos Hobbies), Álex (Nuevos Hobbies, Ex-Novios) y Gonzalo y entran al estudio de Yon Vidaur (Ama) para acabar de dar forma a lo que tenían en la cabeza: 10 canciones de pop del que nos gusta escuchar, con cosas de los Feelies, de Galaxie 500, de Escocia, de los Byrds… El guante lo recogen en Pretty Olivia y se lanzan a editar este maravilloso LP” (Nota de Prensa)
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Hate Week: Nights by the lake (Single, Wiaiwya, 2016)
“2016’s first classic 7 inch single is here. 3 songs, all excellent, featuring see-saw guitar hooks like Buzzcocks, raging lunacy like Dinosaur Jr, Wire’s disturbing atmosphere and Pavement’s unflinching sonic assault.
Hate Week have a great pedigree – 10 years ago they were The Javelins, whose one 7 inch We Paid A Lot For Our Style is a lost classic (you should hunt it down). Then they became The Faintest Ideas, who surely you remember.
Hate Week’s debut of taut, sharp shocks is, I’m confidently declaring, the best of the bunch. It’s that good.” (Did Not Chart Blog)
Princess Chelsea: The Great Cybernetic Depression (Flying Nun, 2015)
Unas cuantas pulsiones electrónicas nunca vienen mal para los seguidores del Electro del blog y un vídeo muy animado a cargo de la neozelandesa Princess Chelsea.
Deerful: Moon maps (Wiaiwya, Single, 2016)
“Deerful is Emma Winston. Emma is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who, after several years spent as a keyboard player and vocalist for musicians including Darren Hayman, Owl & Mouse and Enderby’s Room, decided to indulge her love for synthesisers and storytelling and begin making music of her own. She writes and performs electronic pop about running away, staying in place, brokenness, recovery, and taking up space in the world. She plans to release an EP, Staying Still, on cassette and download this summer” (Press)
Street Chant: Hauora (Flying Nun Ltd., 2016)
Desde Nueva Zelanda nos siguen llegando novedades interesantes, como este regreso de Street Chant, una banda de eso que llamamos Pop-Punk (aunque hay muchos que no comulgan con la etiqueta), aunque la banda va algo más allá del calificativo, y se acercan por momentos al Pop más cándido (Never, One more year, Pedestrian support league…) o al más desenfadado (Insides, Sink). Un disco para disfrutarlo sin intentar ponerle etiquetas o buscarle interioridades: Pop efectivo y altamente lúdico.
“Following a half-decade that’s seen them tour internationally in support of bands as acclaimed as The Lemonheads, The Dead Weather and The 3Ds, as well as multiple trips to SXSW, CMJ and Big Sound, the very-long- awaited release of second full-length Hauorafinds the band picking up where their lauded, New Zealand Music Award-winning debutMeans (2010, Arch Hill) left off. A compact, energised and complex set of songs plumbing the intriguing depths of the Urban New Zealand Condition in the early 21st century, Hauora wears the influence of the city it was made in. From the Saturday night booze binges of ‘Sink’ to the petty shared-house bleakness of ‘Pedestrian Support League’, the album explores in sardonic humour and hook-laden melodies the highs and woes and creative life in Auckland City.
Hauora is that rarest of sophomore efforts; an album that continues a pre-existing trajectory without resorting to repetition or routine. Given that its name is taken from the Māori word for the four aspects of personal health – spiritual, physical, mental and social – it’s fitting that Hauora plays like an exorcism of sorts. There’s catharsis palpable throughout, while Edrosa’s pervasive optimism and energetic wit brings the album’s intense energy full circle.
Though the band’s composition has gone through some changes since Means – while Edrosa and bassist Billie Rogers remain, drummer Alex Brown was replaced by Chris Varnham (Wilberforces) post-recording – their modus operandi remains progressive and active as ever. Over a choppily-strummed acoustic guitar, Edrosa closes the album on ‘Hauora Forever’ by stating plainly, tongue ever-so-slightly in cheek, “If every day was a Sunday / I’d forget to be depressed”. It’s apparent that with the release of Hauora, Street Chant have little to be sad about” (Press)
Camera Shy: Camera Shy (Run for Cover Records, 2015)
El caso de Camera Shy es un tanto peculiar. Se trata de un dúo formado por el bajista de Nothing y de Whirr: Nic Bassett y la antigua cantante del mismo grupo, Alexandra Morte. El hecho es que en 2015 facturaron este estupendo disco de debut llamado como ellos mismos. En él dan rienda suelta a todo un bagaje Pop que en sus bandas “matrices” era más difícil de rastrear. Su gusto por el Dream y por el Jangle da como resultado un disco absolutamente delicioso y refrescante.
“Together, they take the swooning shoegaze melodies of Whirr and strip away the moody guitar noise, fashioning it into something softer and gentler and utterly guileless. They’ve got one official release to their name so far, last year’s Jack-O-Lantern EP, and now they’re announcing a new self-titled full-length to be released this summer. That seasonal timing is no accident: Jangly first single “Your Only One” is warm sunny-day music of the highest caliber, a tender sigh that feels like the sonic equivalent of lying in freshly cut grass and staring up at an impossibly blue sky. But when she sings “I could be the one to be your only one,” Morte’s innocently honeyed voice captures both the sweetness and the uncertain longing of romance, and the song could just as easily soundtrack a daydream in the waning golden light of autumn. The video is fairly simple, but it works surprisingly well, matching the song’s upbeat but nostalgic mood with washed out old footage of Disney theme parks” (Stereogum)
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Shark Toys: Something something else (From Outsider Sect, Mt.St.Mt., 2016)
El nuevo disco de Shark Toys es una animosa mezcla del Punk al estilo setentero-neoyorquino con las melodías más sencillas y efectivas. Something something else es el single de adelanto.
Upcoming shows: tour with Bent Shapes (Slumberland)
4/15 – Seattle, WA @ Victory Lounge w/ Bent Shapes
4/16 – Olympia, WA @ Obsidian w/ Bent Shapes
4/17 – Portland, OR @ Twilight Lounge w/ Bent Shapes
4/18 – Davis, CA @ Third Space w/ Bent Shapes, Klam God [FB Invite]
4/19 – Oakland, CA @ 1-2-3-4 Go w/ Bent Shapes [FB Invite]
4/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout w/ Bent Shapes, Landlines, Cruel Summer [FB Invite]
4/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg Theater w/ Bent Shapes
4/22 – San Diego, CA @ The Whistle Stop w/ Bent Shapes
4/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ tbd w/ Bent Shapes
Lawrence Arabia: A lake (Video-Single, Flying Nun Records, 2016)
Con unos hooks más que sesenteros y una frescura envidiable, se presenta este A Lake, el último sencillo de la banda neozelandesa Lawrence Arabia. Todo un temazo.
Rome Is Not A Town: Blood and secrets (Single, 2016)
En su nota de prensa quizás hinchan mucho la autocomplacencia y el autobombo, comparándolos con bandas que son auténticos tótems, pero lo cierto es que RYNAT tienen cierto punch y un empaque que no se consigue siendo una banda novel. Blood and secrets es su último sencillo.
Sinderins: Fayre (Single, West Wynd Records, 2016)
Aunque sólo sea por el hecho de que hacen Folk y vienen de Escocia, merecen echarles un oído. La voz de su solista es verdad que me epata un tanto, pero hay que reconocer que el single es muy bonito, y se asemeja a cierta producción Folkie realizada en las Islas Británicas a finales de los sesenta.
“The single is energetic and cheerful, with an uplifting tone. Vocalist, David, manages to highlight the incredible ability to his vocal range and it’s clear to see the amount of talent that Sinderins have is extraordinary.
On Fayre, David Webster hits and sustains a high note across four bars. Initial attempts to record this fell short so, channeling something he had read about Thom Yorke leaping into a fjord, Webster asked his band mates to douse him in ice water before he ran to the mic. That first take is the one that was used on the final record…
With Fayre the band have created something that draws on tradition; the tradition of the Folk scene, sure, and on their own personal histories. It is where ideas, techniques, traditions and friends – old and new – come together” (Press)
Apothek: Reunion (Single, Propeller Recordings, 2016)
El dúo sueco Apothek acaba de publicar su último sencillo, titulado Reunion. Un trabajo donde los nórdicos se dejan llevar en búsqueda de esa belleza ansiada a través de la electrónica. Muy en la línea de algunas de las bandas que se dejan oír últimamente por esas latitudes.
“Tonally sublime, with gorgeous harmonies, and the kind of flexibility that follows
the music between its sparsity and abundance.” – Indie Shuffle
Rancho Relaxo: White light fever (Trout as Lubrication Records, 2015)
Que Rancho Relaxo son una banda entregada al Pop Psicodélico ya lo sabíamos. Lo que desconocíamos es que a estas alturas de la película, los chicos fueran capaces de seguir facturando buenos discos, así, como si tal cosa. Lo suyo tiene mérito, pues no tienen el apoyo de una gran discográfica detrás y ni siquiera un seguimiento masivo, pero continúan ofreciéndonos muestras de ese buen hacer.
Lo suyo es la Psicodelia, adornada de rasgos Shoegazers o el puro Fuzz. Sus influencias son claras, y no creo que sea necesario hablar de ellas, aunque en este White light fever se atrevan incluso con incursiones experimentales, como la que da título al disco.
Un trabajo más que recomendable, que nos demuestra que más allá de las modas y del paso del tiempo, determinados gustos musicales continúan ofreciéndonos muestras vivas del buen trabajo y el buen gusto reflejados en discos como éste.
“Twangy guitars, tambourines, sitar and shoegaze vibes mixed with a proper dose of neo-psychedelia sprinkled with 12 strings, soaked in reverb, trippy melodies and some occasional fuzz freak-outs. Technicolor surprises all around. Dig?
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Desario: Red Returns (Test Pattern Records, 2015)
El sonido de Desario es algo así como una huella constante de ciertas sonoridades de los ochenta que tienen mucho que ver con el Pop que se facturaba en las Islas Británicas, con esa tendencia a la búsqueda de la belleza por la frialdad. Acaban de publicar este Red Returns en el sello Test Pattern Records.
“With their well-reviewed full-length, Mixer, as their template, Desario has moved forward crafting songs with tighter arrangements and “to the point” hooks, reminiscent of classic ‘80s and ‘90s Britpop, shoegaze, and indie, with a current aesthetic.
Deciding to forego the DIY approach this time around, Desario chose to work with highly respected Sacramento veteran recording engineer Tony Cale. With Desario focusing on performance and Cale manning the board, the sessions resulted in a sound that will pleasantly surprise fans of the band’s previous releases and please fans of the band’s live shows.
More raw, stripped down, and rhythm-section based than previous recordings, Red Returns still highlights the dual guitar approach that brought them attention. Red Returns is definitely the fresh, exciting, and logical next chapter for Desario, with many, many more chapters yet to follow…” (Press)
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Clearance: Rapid Rewards (Balaclava Records, 2016)
El álbum de debut de Clearance es toda un tributo en toda regla a los sonidos de Pavement, no nos vamos a engañar. Pero lo curioso es que los chicos parecen haber cogido lo mejor de la banda de Stephen Malkmus, porque lo cierto es que mantienen bastante el nivel durante todo el disco, sin llegar a cometer ciertos altibajos como por momentos podríamos tener la sensación en algunos trabajos de los de Stockton, en especial en su última época.
Clearance no nos eran desconocidos, pero en cualquier caso, su revivalismo de los noventa nos satisface bastante, y su sitio en el blog lo tienen merecido.
“Clearance is an independent rock band from Chicago. The group started in 2013 when singer/guitarist Mike Bellis and drummer Arthur Velez, who had first played punk covers together at house parties while still students at the University of Michigan, self-released a four-song, 7” EP. Another 7” EP quickly followed, and the pair quickly started drafting friends to help them play their songs live around town. After two years and change spent cutting their teeth throughout Chicago’s vibrant DIY scene — becoming a fixture on bills throughout the city’s bars, basements, and record stores alike — and with a handful of tours throughout the U.S. under their belt, the group, now rounded out on bass by Greg Obis and another guitar by Kevin Fairbairn, released their first album, “Rapid Rewards,” in September 2015.
“Rapid Rewards” is a cheekily-titled batch of 13 tracks that capture the mix of anxiety and malaise familiar to the newly adult and municipally independent, delivered with the detached humor, millennial skepticism, and slapdash style of a young band just starting to hit its stride. Taking equal cues from the Flying Nun school of art-damaged guitar pop, classic British post-punk and 90s indie rock, the band mixes eras and styles with ease, resulting in a tightly focused but coolly off-the-cuff album by a group ready to write themselves into your record collection” (Press)
Alpaca Sports: When you need me the most (Elefant Records, 2015)
El último proyecto musical de los suecos Alpaca Sports es este When you need me the most, un trabajo en el que inciden en lo más característico de su sonido: pulcritud en la instrumentación, estribillos pegajosos y ese Jangle tan peculiar de mucha de la producción sonora llegada desde Suecia.
Y ahora viene la gran noticia, Elefant Records publica “When You Need Me The Most”, las nuevas canciones del grupo en un 10” de color azul y en edición numerada y limitada a 1000 copias. Seis canciones en las que vuelven a hacer buena gala de su inmediatez, sus contagiosos estribillos y su amor por bandas como THE SMITHS, ANOTHER SUNNY DAY o BELLE AND SEBASTIAN. Un disco “internacional”, como sus propios compositores lo llaman, que pone en evidencia la increíble experiencia que está siendo ALPACA SPORTS para Andreas Jonsson, Amanda Åkerman y Carl Jirestedt. Pero expliquémoslo por pasos y lo entenderemos mejor. Lo primero, es que Lisle Mitnik (TINY FIREFLIES, EDINE AVEC LISLE MITNIK ET SON ORCHESTRE, FIREFLIES, VERY TRULY YOURS…) ha pasado a formar parte de la banda desde su base en Chicago, y participa en la composición de canciones a través de internet, como podemos comprobar en sus aportaciones a la guitarra, órgano, cuerdas, etc. Las baterías y bajos se grabaron en Nueva York, en los famosos Malborough Farms de Gary Olson(LADYBUG TRANSISTOR), que además metió algunas trompetas. Los músicos fueron respectivamente Julia Rydholm (THE ESSEX GREEN, THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR) y Hampus Öhman-Frölund, éste ya clásico en sus anteriores grabaciones. El disco terminó de ser grabado y producido por Ian Catt (TREMBLING BLUE STARS, SHAMPOO, SAINT ETIENNE…) en Londres, y cuenta, cómo no, con esa portada llegada directamente desde Japón por la propia Ray Kimura. Y los primeros videoclips de esta referencia han sido grabados en su Gothenburg natal (Suecia) y París, respectivamente. Y el sello, como sabéis, español” (Nota de Prensa)
Linda Guilala: Psiconaútica (Elefant Records, 2016)
“Han sido siete años los que han pasado desde la publicación de su álbum de debut hasta este nuevo disco de LINDA GUILALA. No se puede decir que hayan sido años de silencio discográfico: numerosos singles, EPs, Mini-LPs, además de otros trabajos como la nueva sintonía del legendario programa de Radio 3 “Disco Grande”, conciertos en diferentes países de Europa o las numerosas producciones que Eva e Iván han llevado a cabo desde los estudios Kaiju en Vigo. Pero ahora lo vemos claro. Era un tiempo para limar, para preparar, para mimar, para perfeccionar, para agotar la inspiración hasta exprimirla al máximo. Porque aquí está su gran obra. El disco. “Psiconáutica”. Un viaje eléctrico, alucinógeno, desde su misma portada, que les emparenta (si no lo estaban ya) con MY BLOODY VALENTINE, THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN, BEACH HOUSE, SILVANIA, SLOWDIVE, COCTEAU TWINS o LOS PLANETAS.
“Psiconáutica” es ambicioso, es cierto, y su mismo formato ya lo indica. Un disco con veinte temas (más de la mitad apenas llegan al minuto) en el que casi no hay segundos de silencio, ni siquiera entre las canciones. Temas en los que la saturación y los ambientes son claves, pero donde, en contra de lo que pueda parecer, brillan con especial fuerza las melodías y las voces de Eva. Y como prueba canciones como “Cosas Nuevas”, “Accidente”, “Fobia Social I” o “La Última Vez (1ª Recidiva)” entre otras, en las que asoma el pasado punk de Iván y Eva. Porque “Psiconáutica”, además de un magnífico puñado de composiciones, es una demostración de que la psicodelia no requiere de grandes extensiones de minutaje para ser efectiva: 20 canciones en apenas 42 minutos. Rompiendo tópicos, como sólo las grandes obras pueden hacer.
Porque “Psiconáutica” es una experiencia: sónica, emocional, y algo más. Sónica, porque los muros de sonido planteados en este disco están más allá del shoegazing, son más atrevidos, desafiantes, no miran a los pies sino que lo hacen a la cara, con determinación y convicción, pero con dolor. Por ello también destaca en su aspecto emocional, cómo identifica una serie de sentimientos abrumadores, muy cerca del “teenage angst” que tanto está en los tabloides musicales últimamente, intensamente, sin concesiones ni tapujos. Pero todo esto llega un punto más allá, empujado por unas letras obsesivas, repetitivas, a veces incluso enfermizas. Porque la psicodelia es exploración en todos los aspectos, y ese es el “algo más” de este disco. Psicodelia, en su máxima expresión. Es el “Medication” de SPIRITUALIZED, es el “Walkin’ With Jesus” de SPACEMEN 3, es “Nuevas Sensaciones” de LOS PLANETAS, es el lado oscuro de “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”. Es “Psiconáutica”.
El gran paso de LINDA GUILALA. Un disco al que no se puede entrar tímidamente, escurriéndose en YouTube o con un paso fugaz por un reproductor. Debe disfrutarse como lo que es. Entero. De principio a fin. Con entrega máxima por parte del oyente. Una atención inmisericorde. A partir de ahí, no podemos deciros nada más. Es vuestro territorio, compartido con ellos, con LINDA GUILALA” (Nota de Prensa)
Peter Stringer-Hye: Sunday girls (Ep, Trouble in Mind Records, 2015)
El Ep de debut de Peter Stringer-Hye es todo un descubrimiento: una maravillosa expresión del mejor Pop-Folk con ciertos aires incluso Country. Evidentemente, es imposible negar la influencia de Gram Parsons, pero, por qué no, podemos rastrear la huella de un injustamente algo apartado Evan Dando y evidentemente a bandas como Wilco. Por cierto, se me olvidaba decir que Peter viene de Nashville. Creo que con eso está todo dicho…
“Peter Stringer-Hye hails from Nashville, TN – a town that is no stranger to music. Having cut his teeth in local garage & psychedelic bands such as Promised Land Sound, D. Watusi & (Trouble In Mind alums) The Paperhead, Stringer-Hye takes a side step, revealing a strong caché of solo material with his debut solo release, the “Sunday Girls” EP. Kicking off with the title track, “Sunday Girls” bops along familiar territory for Stringer-Hye, conjuring up whispers of UK popsike as well as late-Sixties folk & Americana, punctuated by a stinging guitar solo.“When My Eyes Are Closed” ends the first side; a wistful folk-rocker, whose jangling guitars hearken across decades of music from the late Sixties, thru the present day. Side B kicks off with “Girl With No Name”,loping off the grooves with a sensitive grace, before Stringer-Hye launches into a solo worthy of the hottest of Nashville session players. The EP closes with “Throw Away The Day”, a fitting ender & a jaunty country rocker with hope & yearning for the future & the possibilities it holds. Expect big things from Stringer-Hye in 2016” (Press)
Sulk: No illusions (Perfect Sound Forever, 2016)
Ahora que parece que Stone Roses parece que van a editar nuevo material después de un largo tiempo, os recomiendo a quienes no los conozcáis, que os acerquéis a la música del quinteto londinense Sulk. Un combo que hace de los sonidos de los primeros noventa su banderín de enganche, aderezándolo con influencias psicodélicas y del Shoegaze.
No illusions es su segundo disco, la continuación perfecta del aún más lisérgico Graceless (2013). En él, aligeran algo su sonido acercándolo más a los Stone Roses más melódicos, pero a la vez se adentran en los parajes más shoegazers. Como bien señalan en The Guardian, “suenan como si TSR hubieran fichado por Creation”
Track By Track: SULK on their new album, No Illusions
Black Infinity (Upside Down)
Tomas: The opening track of the album is also the youngest song on the album. I wrote it after having heard/seen Future Islands on David Letterman, funny enough. The drum beat was initially double time so it was very up tempo. It didn’t feel very SULK so I decided to change it to the current beat which felt more apt. That’s how it became the psychedelic stomper it is now instead of sounding like something from a fitness instruction video from the ’80s.The quiet bit in the middle of the song was initially only four bars, but was changed to a more cinematic eight bars by our producer and good friend Jonas Verwijnen. Good move.
Andy: This song is about that feeling when you just feel at one with the universe. That state where there is no space, no time. Where you feel like you are nothing but that you can do everything and you feel like you have it all figured out, but when someone asks you what that is, you have no idea. It’s impossible to explain. But you just felt it.
The Only Faith Is Love
Tomas: I’ve always been a fan of good pop and psychedelic music so writing this song was a a lot of fun. Similarly to the previous track, the song revolves around a main riff which constantly pops in and out. The solo in the middle of the song was written and recorded in my bedroom on my midi keyboard. I had never really been unfaithful to my guitar before so this was quite a new experience. I guess I liked it so much I added all kinds of shit (horns, shakers, sitars, wah-wahs, strings), which in all fairness, sound pretty decent altogether. The song’s about staying true to your heart. Especially at times when you feel swayed or tempted to do things you know you don’t really wanna do or when you feel fatigued about doing something you’ve had a lot of passion for (this has nothing to do about me cheating on my guitar by the way).
Andy: I heard this song and thought the main riff should be on a sitar, thats my contribution to it. Oh and the New Order-like “woo” in the middle eight.
No Illusions
Tomas: I’m always confused about which part of this song is the chorus and which part is the verse. I suppose it doesn’t really matter as it’s more all about the overall drive and optimism of the tune. This is probably the most quintessential indie pop song on the album.
Andy: The lyrics to this song were based on my mate. I played it to him expecting him to be really happy, and he just looked at me confused. Its about the power in believing in something, even if it is so deluded its never gonna be true, you believe in it so strongly that that kind of overpowers everything else. Sometimes you need that belief, or you never would have got where you are without it. No tricks, no illusions, just an insane belief that something is real.
Drifting
Tomas: This is about the sad affair of drifting wayward, losing foothold, struggling to find the right place in your life. The kind of stuff we all experience from time to time. The main riff was originally an octave lower and the beat was more baggy. However it all felt a bit parody like so I pretty much immediately scaled it down to a more straight beat and moved the riff an octave higher. The result feels like a mix between The House of Love, Bruce Springsteen and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Andy: I remember Tomas spent ages asking for the mix to be dirtier and more distorted. It just kept getting cranked more and more and he’d be like “hmm yeah that’s fine”, then the next day there’d be an e mail – “more”.
One Day
Tomas: I’ve always loved “Saturday Night” by Suede. It’s an evergreen classic that could’ve been sung by greats like Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. A song that is able to transcend time and generations. I guess I wanted to do something along those lines (no pressure). Well, whatever the result of my songwriting is here I’m in no position to judge. However, the inspirations and influences for it are true greats. Speaking of inspirations, for the guitar solo, I pretty much went all in for that kind of laid back, borderline cheesy, Roxy Music Avalon-era vibe, which I do have a big soft spot for. It’s probably my favourite bit of the track too. And what the song is about? As Metallica once poetically put it – Carpe Diem, Baby.
Andy: Yeah I’m in a position to judge it and I don’t think this song transcends it’s 3 minute running time, let alone “time and generations”. Talking of Metallica this one’s a bit like the “Fade to Black” or “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” of the album. The ballad basically.
Past Paradise
Tomas: The song’s about hubris, temptation and fall from grace. Like Icarus – flying too close to the sun, or like Adam & Eve – eating the forbidden fruit. I wanted to spin on that theme with an intro that would create a dystopic, post-apocalyptic, wasteland vibe. I used four or five samples which I reversed, time-stretched and put lots of delays on to create this effect. The embryo for this song is pretty old. The only parts I liked from those early demo sessions were the verses, the rest was pretty bad. After we released Graceless I was quite determined to finish this one off as the verses felt too good to go to waste. I’d say the timelapse between the composition of the verses and the choruses are about seven or eight years.
Andy: This is the one that when everyone in the band heard it they were like “we don’t like it” and then when we’d finished it and it was mixed and mastered, everyone was like “we effing love it”. There’s a couple of things I did on my guitar where I had to bend it out of tune with the tuning pegs as I was playing it. I’ve no idea how I’m gonna replicate that live.
Queen Supreme
Tomas: Ever wondered how Oasis and Blur would sound together..? Like the previous track I started writing this song quite a while ago. It’s the same story here, the chorus came about long after the verses. Nothing more to say really, the song is a pretty straightforward swagmuncher.
Andy: This song is about creativity. Its about being sat there banging your head against a wall, not knowing when creativity is gonna come and bless you with its presence. You can end up doing some weird things while you’re waiting for inspiration – I tippexed my watch white, put all my DVDs in alphabetical order, and fed a stray cat ham for a week. In the end it wouldn’t leave, so I had to spray it in the face with a hosepipe. Probably the saddest thing I’ve ever done. If you’re the cat and you’re reading this – I’m really sorry. It wasn’t my fault, it was creativity’s.
Love Can’t Save You Now
Tomas: A rock/pop number à la The Charlatans, Primal Scream that revolves around a swirly riff (unsurprisingly).
Andy: This song is about the scene. Its kind of about how cliques in the scene are like cults. And like a cult it sometimes doesn’t feel like a healthy atmosphere. Sooner or later you realise you don’t want to waste your energy being inducted into some kind of secret society. Unless they give you a cloak and a cool mask. I’d be in one then.
The Tape Of You
Tomas: The story behind this song begins back in 2008 when Jon played me “Thursday” by Asobi Seksu. I instantly fell in love with it and it really got me inspired me to write something as melancholic, emotive and euphoric. Again, the chorus didn’t come along easily so I decided to take a break from it and move one with something different. It wasn’t until after we released Graceless that I decided to work on this song again. Pretty much straight away I got the chorus right and I finished off the song a lot quicker than I could’ve imagined. I was listening a lot to The House Of Love at that time so there’s a good chance that had something to do with the inspirational bit.
Andy: I wrote the lyrics to this about 4 years ago. It’s about not letting go. Choosing to live inside your head in a memory rather than in the now, and how destructive that can be. You’re just trapped in this cycle, and how comforting that bubble can be but its stopping you from feeling anything else. You’re kind of in stasis and the only way to move on is to stop replaying the memories over and over again.
Another Man Fades Dawn
Tomas: The oldest song on the album. The main core of song was written over ten years ago (before I even moved to London). Inspired by Joy Division and Ride I wanted to go for something that I would describe as a “musical procession”. I wanted to have that type of celebratory and ritualistic feel to it as the song is about how religious organisations become politicised over time, how their origins/ideals become corrupted and how they blind their followers.
Andy: My favourite line on the whole album is in the first line of this song – “So you live for your mother, in the name of the father”. That’s not me being bigheaded by the way. Tomas wrote the lyrics to that one.
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