Soundgarden - King Animal

God bless Eddie Vedder. Soundgarden’s reunion, a return of one of the Mount Rushmore carvings of grunge, is a cash-spinning, half-arsed return that should have remained firmly in the mid-nineties. Fresh from a triumphant headline slot at last year’s Download festival, Chris Cornell and co have released their first LP in sixteen years, an ageing rock-a-thon that pays more testament to Pearl Jam’s brilliance and durability more than Soundgarden’s own relevance.  Cornell’s voice has always been a diamond that deserves far more credit than he, or Soundgarden, are ever given, but ‘‘King Animal’’, the comeback album from the Seattle rockers, only serves to typify this unfulfilled promise. After the brilliance of his early Audioslave work, and a hastily swept away Timbaland produced R’n’B’ turn, you would’ve expected the Soundgarden frontman to come out blazing, rather than this under gunned, somewhat dull return.

Opening track Been Away Too Long is self-aware of its own importance, with an opening riff that is nowhere near as big or as long as it should be,  a representation of much of this disappointingly OK album that would have surely benefited from letting Cornell scream and bleed a little bit more. Kim Thayil’s guitar work does sound fresh on second song Non-State Actor, with its follow up By Crooked Steps providing a gritty sound that would’ve worked so much better had it not been overdubbed by Cornell’s echoed and overproduced crooning. Blood On The Valley Floor offers a brooding resistance cut short by Bones of Birds with Cornell admitting ‘time is my friend, till it ain’t’ a dark admission of what surely could’ve been given such a fantastic voice.

Taree and Attrition showcase what is a much funkier return, with the severely downtuned acoustic focused Black Saturday offering an experimental turn that would’ve benefited from remaining solely guitar based, something also true of Halfway There, a victim of poor track placement.
As Cornell admits in Been Away Too Long, ‘I never wanted to stay’ unfortunately it may have been better if Soundgarden didn’t return, a harsh reality of what could’ve been a revitalising return. Though ‘‘King Animal’’ is by no means a bad album, it feels somewhat stagnated and self-aware, with Cornell never really letting his own talents, or that of his band mates, verge into anything unprecedented or new. Eddie Vedder’s got a ukulele album you know…

6/10

Green Day - UNO!

The return of Green Day has found them at something of a cross roads in their career. No longer the pop punk whirlwind of fresh air from the 90’s and early 2000’s but bona fide arena filling rock superstars. The all-conquering success of American Idiot in 2004 created something of a problem for Billy-Joe and co as to what direction they really wanted their group to head in. Thankfully, on Uno!, (the first of three LP’s planned in coming months) they have achieved something of a balance between past and present, though this is by no means their finest hour.

Opening track Nuclear Family starts promisingly but is something of a false start, lacking a truly massive chorus. This is something that is amended on second song Stay the Night and its follow up Carpe Diem as the album steps up a gear, with trademark chord heavy hooks and catchy melodies announcing that this record is unmistakably Green Day.

Let Yourself Go is perhaps the punkiest, and best, song on Uno!, charging through three minutes of energetic delirium complete with a screamed refrain that is the highlight of a superbly produced record. Unfortunately this is shadowed by the weakest song of the album, and perhaps Green Day’s career, Kill the DJ. Though the danceable riff should perhaps be celebrated for its experimentalism, it’s just a plodding, lazy mess of a tune.

Fell For You and Loss of Control are solid enough songs, however they don’t do anything special enough to save the middle of Uno! from feeling somewhat half-arsed and comfortable. Such filler suggests that Green Day may well have made a mistake releasing three albums in such a short space of time with Dos! and Tres! soon to be upon us in coming months.

One thing that is clear here however is that Green Day are oozing with a swagger and carefree attitude that was missing on 2009’s 21^st Century Breakdown. Whilst this no doubt comes with the financial security and knowledge that this record and tour will of course sell, it’s refreshing that they clearly feel under no obligation to make American Idiot part II, exemplified by Troublemaker, as Billy-Joe snarls and coos his way through 2:45 of breeze pop heaven.

The classic Green Day power chords charge back in on Angel Blue (the most American Idiot esque- track), presenting a strong finish to the LP along with the delicate Sweet 16 and the Warning era pop punk perfect Rusty James, which in quoting St. Joe Strummer suggests that such a sound and heritage was very much on the bands minds during this recording. Comeback single and album closer Oh Love polarised opinion on release, but as an album closer it actually works quite well, feeling more like a bonus track or encored  curtain closer then part of this collection of songs.

Only time will tell as to whether Green Day would’ve been better suited to putting all their golden eggs into one basket, rather than such a trilogy and Uno! unfortunately suggests that this may well be the case. However, it does provide a solid return, encompassing what we love and loved about Green Day. It’s a pity that any experimentation falls somewhat flat, but hey, I’d much rather see a stadium filling band take a few risks (*cough* Mumford *cough*) rather than playing it safe. After all, as Billy Joe so eloquently put it, ‘‘he’s not Justin Fucking Bieber’’.

                                                                                                                                                                                7.5/10     

Live Review: The Gaslight Anthem - London, KOKO

Before I start I should probably mention that I’m a MASSIVE Gaslight Anthem fan, so the prospect of seeing them at one of London’s relatively smaller venues left me more excited than a 16 year old girl about to be spit-roasted by One Direction – with Harry going first. Thankfully my excitement was well-justified as The Gaslight Anthem fired through a memorable set, ranked by the band themselves as one of their favourite shows ever.

With their debut major label release Handwritten due out towards the end of July, tonight was a perfect way so bid farewell to some older songs, showcasing exactly why the New Jersey punk rockers broke out of the basement scene and gained such widespread acclaim and adoration. Kicking off with Great Expectations, the album opener from 2008’s classic 59 Sound LP, the group ensure that the bar is set high, so high in fact that only a band with as strong a catalogue as TGA would be able to maintain it. The 25 song set included tracks from all three Gaslight albums, Sink or Swim, 59 Sound and American Slang, as well as Senor and the Queen, 2008’s four track EP.

A seamlessly paced set highlights Gaslight’s ability to mix hard rocking anthems with slower melodies as song pairings Drive - Blue Jeans and White T-shirts and American Slang – Here’s Looking at you, Kid perfectly illustrate. Of course it wouldn’t be as Gaslight Anthem show without a few covers and surprises thrown in, tonight’s offerings see an impassioned cover of House of the Rising Sun as well as a superb run through of Brand New’s Jesus Christ, situated during a rousing Angry Johnny and the Radio. In addition the inclusion of I’da Called You Woody Joe, homage to Camden Town and its patron Saint Joe Strummer is a fiercely relevant tribute to tonight’s setting.

With Handwritten looming on the horizon, (TGA’s first release since signing to Mercury Records) much speculation questioned whether the show heralded a different Gaslight Anthem, and if so would they play any new material. Well, if tonight proved anything it’s that the band themselves have not altered – singer Brian Fallon emphasizing this point himself, adding ‘‘everything’s changed, but the band haven’t changed’’ before launching into a stirring performance of breakthrough single The 59 Sound. Fans are treated to two tracks from the new record, though neither are world premieres. Biloxi Parish is a blues infused stomp of a track, previewed and debuted last year which rises up to a characteristically massive chorus that typifies the band. 45, the lead single from Handwritten, is even bigger, an immediate fans favourite that provides one of many highlights, with each ‘Hey, turn the record over’ greeted by a flurry of fists.

The unofficial inclusion of Fallon’s Horrible Crowes collaborator and former Gaslight guitar tech Ian Perkins has added a new direction to both the band’s sound and stage performance. Although an unassuming figure himself, Perkins’ guitar duties not only give the band an even bigger live sound, but it also allows Brian Fallon to further assert himself as a frontman. Putting down the guitar for around five songs allows him to clap, stomp and scream his way around stage, culminating in a brave stage dive from one of Koko’s balcony’s. Acting almost as a metaphor for the direction Fallon wants to take his band, this Eddie Vedder tribute is a representation of not only the influences on the new album, but also how the band would like to model their impending success.  Fallon is clearly ready for The Gaslight Anthem to be huge, arena huge and if their already brilliant back catalogue wasn’t enough to seal the deal, Handwritten will be. Anyone still unconvinced only need listen to tonight’s triumphant closer of Baba O’Reilly – one of the biggest ever rock songs, sounding bigger than ever before.

I’ll see you on the flipside.       

Top 5 Music Videos

In tribute to the late, great Adam Yauch I’ve decided to compile a quick top five of my favourite music videos of all time. There have obviously been hundreds of brilliant promos since video reared up, unwittingly and ultimately killing the radio stars of yesteryear, however this is a celebration of those that managed to perfectly capture a song visually.

Number 5: Beastie Boys – Sabotage

MCA may no longer be with us but thankfully The Beastie Boys humorous and energetic videos always will be. Sabotage is the best of the lot, building up the tension before launching into the fence kicking attack of the first verse. Fast, action packed and perfectly spoofed with fake moustaches it’s an LA cop chase that crams all the best bits of a film into an adrenaline fuelled three minutes of awesomeness.

Number 4: Eminem – Stan

Another white boy rapper famed for his outlawed comedy videos, Eminem went dark and disturbing with 2002’s Stan. Shot with low saturation and differentiation levels, it’s a rain drenched autobiographical tale of a crazed fan, driving himself and his pregnant girlfriend ultimately to death in his crazed pursuit of Eminem’s attention. Distressing and painful it explores the obsessive culture of fandom, so often trivialised, for its agonizing and often tragic nature.

Number 3: Social Distortion – Machine Gun Blues

A seven minute epic perfectly detailing the story told in the song. Set in 1930’s America, it’s wonderfully shot and stylish, just easing with cool. Mike Ness effortlessly pulls off the gun wielding anti-hero, keeping his tommy gun stored in his guitar case, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Retro, superbly directed and with an endless supply of ammo its pure punk rock heart and soul: Don Corleone with a Les Paul and what’s not to love about that.   

Number 2: Johnny Cash – Hurt

A video that will always hold poignancy and sentiment as it was filmed just seven months before Cash’s death, and three months before that of his wife June . The opening bars reflected through Christian imagery before revealing the essence of Cash’s cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic, an old man remembering through music. Shot at the House of Cash museum in Nashville, the derelict and diminishing building seemed a perfect metaphor for Cash’s own fading health. Frail, emotive and vulnerable it serves as an echo or epitaph to lost youth and memory.  Truly a goose bump inducing, room silencing masterpiece.     

Number 1: Replacements – Bastards of Young

If ever a music video captured what it’s like to be a teenager this is it, and it couldn’t be simpler. Shot in black and white, the picture slowly zooms out from a booming record player to reveal a bored teenager, sat on his bed, smoking and playing Tim. The climatic crescendo of the track itself is mirrored by the finale, where the punk lashes out, kicking his speakers over and leaving the room. A picture-perfect representation of anger, frustration and youth, it exemplifies the genre and captures feelings like no million dollar video ever could.

 You can keep Michael Jackson in space and Lady Gaga in prison; this is why music videos are awesome. 

Live: Sharks @ Club Ifor Bach,Cardiff

Leamington Spa indie punks Sharks continue to showcase their unrelenting potential during their first headline tour in support of ‘No Gods’. The four piece, now complete with new bassist Carl Murrihy, have clearly made the most of years supporting acts such as Social Distortion and The Gaslight Anthem on both sides of the Atlantic, reaping the rewards of such hard work and practice.

Opening act Crossbreaker provide the night’s local interest, with the Welsh acts energetic brand of hardcore introducing some heavy and accomplished riffs to a somewhat disappointing turnout. If the screamo style of the lead singer did appear somewhat out of place given the acts following them, this could be an association of genre Sharks themselves promote throughout their career, given that they are signed to the mostly hardcore label Rise Records.

The main support act, Cornish folk punks Crowns are very much a perfect opening for any rock band. Lively, charismatic and bursting with massive choruses they offer a very welcome English alternative to a genre traditionally dominated by Irish bands such as Flogging Molly. This is something that has definitely been missing in recent English punk but, along with former tour mates The King Blues, may be starting to change. Highlights from their mandolin driven set include Little Eyes, Kissing Gates and Full Swing.

Sharks themselves begin at the very top of their game. A superb one-two of Till The Wonders Rise and breakthrough single Arcane Effigies would seem to be unleashing too much too soon for many young bands, however the quality of all the songs on No Gods, and indeed much of Sharks’ back catalogue, ensure that this is far from the case. Having seen Sharks twice previously, one notable improvement is the quality of singer James Mattock’s vocal work. Whilst he has always had a classic punk rock snarl he occasionally seemed to struggle with the impassioned high end notes that are so powerful on record.  Tonight however, he is near flawless, something that may well have come both through practise and the guidance of album producer Brian McTernan, as he also achieved similar success with Polar Bear Club frontman Jimmy Stadt.

Sharks also have in Andrew Bayliss, a very intricate and technically brilliant guitarist. Tonight much of his best work comes out in Able Moving Hearts and Luck, littering the verses with sophisticated hooks. The highlight of the night for me comes in the form of Sweet Harness. Brimming with emotion, melody and power, such is the quality of lyrical imagery it’s hard to believe that this song was written when the band were still teenagers.   

 Despite spending much of their time in America, Sharks remain all about the British attitude. The piercing bark that opens Trains is intense and clearly intended for bigger crowds than this, bursting with ambition and frustration, it serves as a perfect penultimate track, highlighting Sharks punk rock background and outlining a thirst for greater things.

Finishing the night with album closer No Gods will no doubt become commonplace in upcoming years, as its anthemic, almost hymn like feel and instrumental finish bring proceedings very much to a completed close. Playing less than an hour, Sharks demonstrate exactly what this tour is about. By leaving plenty of room for more, they are clearly destined for bigger venues and crowds, something the band themselves seem keen on, given the direction their sound is taking.     

Sharks set list:

Till The Wonders Rise

Arcane Effigies

Able Moving Hearts

It All Relates

Glove in Hand

On a Clear Day

Fallen On Deaf Ears

Capital Youth

Sweet Harness

Luck

Matthew’s Baby

Patient Spider

Trains

No Gods

Lucero - Women & Work

Tennessee country rockers Lucero return with their most experimental record yet, Women & Work, mixing their own brand of Southern soul with rock and roll hooks and a wide range of musical backing.  

  

Introducing Women & Work, Lucero kick start their first record on ATO with Downtown, a minute long opener outlining the albums intentions; ‘come on out tonight, I’ll be good tonight’, they certainly don’t disappoint. The first song proper is the extension of this brief, On My Way Downtown. Here we are immediately exposed to Lucero’s fuller sound. Complete with a delicious blues riff and an uplifting brass section, this big band style is combined with Ben Nichols’ familiar barstool lyrics and a massive chorus of ‘come on baby don’t you wanna go, come on baby please say so’.

The title track that follows features a similar blues, rock and roll energy, powered along again by horns and an underlying jazz piano section that feels synonymous with the honky tonk bar themes described. It May Be Too Late acts as a call and response to the opening song. A slow, closing time piano beginning is soon laced with the last dregs of whiskey sorrow of a night drinking alone. The tender, downhearted lyrics lead to an unbearably desperate crescendo, perfectly mirroring that frantic search for a partner as the bartender starts to wipe down.

Track 5, Juniper, is driven by yet another bluesy guitar lick, a bravado fuelled dance number complete with horns, organ strains and a crooning Nichols at his very best. Though this track feels a somewhat unnatural successor to It May Be Too Late, this may simply be the result of searching for one story in the LP, rather than considering it a more sporadic compilation.        

Furthering this idea, Who You Waiting On tells the story of late night loneliness from the perspective of an unaccompanied woman, soon to be the interest of Nichols across the bar. The tracks steel guitars are soon overridden by a closing organ solo. Whilst previous tracks of despair have always featured a kind of hope in the night, track seven I Can’t Stand To You is pure despair. Described by Nichols as ‘the loneliest song on the record’ it is instantly darker, an eerie mix of wails and tense drumming creating a perfect storm of atmosphere.  In contrast, When I Was Young offers a reminiscent tone smothered around a steady beat, built up and centred on the lyric ‘I was fierce and wild in love, when I was young’. This particular track is perhaps the most similar to Lucero’s previous work, something which may well have been reflected thematically in sound, and is likely to fit seamlessly into their live show.

Sat rather confusingly far back into the album is the brilliantly crafted Sometimes. Featuring the LP’s most memorable riff, this slow, steam train classic is perfectly paced, building up and slacking to the anthemic post chorus ‘You and your brothers watch out for each other, always’, serving as a powerful love song to friends and family. The unfaltering grandeur continues with follow up Like Lightning, with rock and roll chords complimented by a heavily distorted bass line, crashing over a piano introduction. This is 1950’s rock at its best, with each lyrical gap feeling like it should be accompanied by an Elvis hip shimmy. Producer Ted Hutt continuing his near unmatchable ability to let vocalists go balls out crazy towards the end of the track, whilst making it all appear so controlled.

Perhaps like every Southern gent, the debauchery of such Saturday night fire is often accompanied by Sunday morning repentance in church. Therefore, as a perfect closer to such a rocking country record, final song Go Easy is given a gospel feel, its hymn like melody supplemented with a choir backed chorus.

That this doesn’t feel out of place on Women & Work is testament not only to the Deep South setting that Lucero have always nailed, but also to their new ability to expand and experiment. Nichols brings the album to a halt with an upsurge of voice cracking passion that is an ideal curtain closer to a country rock record that in acknowledging its roots and influences never cheapens or overplays them. A record that transcends its boundaries to feel at home whatever part of the world you’re listening to it in, whatever you’re drinking.

But, since you asked, mines a whiskey.                 

Sharks - No Gods

For a young band to boldly title their debut LP No Gods it takes some bottle, not to mention the need for the tunes to back it up. Sharks clearly have both, with their Rise Records unveiling living up to all expectations.

Having formed in 2007, the quartet’s previous release The Joys of Living 2008-2010 catalogued the early work that has seen them gain fans and support slots with the likes of Social Distortion, Chuck Ragan and The Gaslight Anthem, before signing with Rise last year in a move with signalled the labels intention to add punkier acts to their roster.  

Opening track ‘Till The Wonders Rise’ is a magnificent curtain raiser, with a fuzzy introduction bringing in a pounding rhythm section and the first of many notable riffs. Full of energy, a massive chorus and an intricate guitar solo, it serves as a clear statement for the band, with singer James Mattock emphasising ‘We’re the overestimated underdogs’, a lyric that may well prove a classic motto for an increasing number of fans from both sides of the Atlantic.

Follow up track Arcane Effigies proved a deserved first single for the album, earning frequent Radio 1 airplay from the likes of Zane Lowe, Mike Davies and Daniel P. Carter. It’s brilliant slice of guitar pop-punk, highlighting why lyrically and sonically Sharks have been compared to The Clash. The line ‘hapless sick lay on door-steps of beauty, and the privileged are unhappy’ outlining the quality of lyrics present throughout, which is even more brilliant given the bands young age.

Able Moving Hearts provides an anthemic early candidate for No Gods’ second single, with its ambitious feel perfectly supplemented by Andrew Bayliss’ unique guitar work. The combination of tones and rhythm from Bayliss and Mattock perhaps most resembles that of The Gaslight Anthem and this great attribute of Sharks’ sound is a major highlight throughout the entire album.

On A Clear Day You Can See Yourself and Patient Spider brim with a slow confidence, that gives No Gods an upbeat, summertime feel that is sure to be a hit during this year’s festival season. Turn To You  offers an almost waltz like feel, showcasing the wide number of genres and styles present on the record, from the punk honesty and vigour  of Matthew’s Baby, to the rock n roll swagger of What Entails and the indie-tinged Luck.

Closer No Gods is one of the albums best tracks, serving as a seamless closer to a record without a single note of filler. Soaring and dipping from verse to chorus and back again, it closes perfectly with a raw, commanding and uplifting instrumental section outlining exactly what Sharks appear to be about.

The ability to experiment with differing sounds, whilst wearing their influences on their sleeve to create something entirely original is exactly what Sharks do best, something that has been sorely missing on the UK rock scene in recent years. With No Gods these four, clearly talented and motivated musicians, have combined exactly what has made British punk so great over the years, with real lyrical depth and flair. In doing so, they have set themselves up perfectly for a bright future.  ///              

9/10