Mount Righteous - Mount Righteous (Righteous Records)
Texan Marching Band Attempts To Create A Heavenly Sound
Mount Righteous hail from the heart of Texas, a State known for its title as the 'Buckle of the Bible belt'. So it can only be expected that the area should produce a considerable amount of bands that are heavily dipped in Religious connotation. Therefore shouldn't we be sceptical and even tired when a band comes along with such a name and spouting out lyrics that include religious relics such as 'Kumbaya my lord'.
It could be so easily done to dismiss Mount Righteous as simple straight forward good news proliferators, but with a full 9 member collective of instrumentalists and vocalists, it is immediately apparent that they have something else to offer the casual music listener. Most of the songs are lead by the plodding cadence of the trombone which sets the pace for the rest of the troupe to unleash their joyous melodies often with varying intonation.
One of the real endearing quality to this band is the peculiar sound that comes from the vocals of the lead male singer. A voice which immediately reminded me of the fantastic folk-punk band 'Andrew Jackson Jihad', with both vocalists sharing the same frantic delivery and metre that can't help but inspire the listener to truly believe in the words that they are hearing.
This album lyrically isn't the strongest thing you will hear this year, it is full of twee phrases and imagery, simple yet clever wordplay and unpretentious tales of the world that surrounds them. But it is in these stories of the locale that this album truly flourishes and in the song 'Suburban Homesick Blues' the band transcend from being a product of their culture to being masterful critics of it.
All in all, it is fair to say that Mount Righteous wont convert everyone that hears them, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will have alot of fun trying to do so.
5/10
It could be so easily done to dismiss Mount Righteous as simple straight forward good news proliferators, but with a full 9 member collective of instrumentalists and vocalists, it is immediately apparent that they have something else to offer the casual music listener. Most of the songs are lead by the plodding cadence of the trombone which sets the pace for the rest of the troupe to unleash their joyous melodies often with varying intonation.
One of the real endearing quality to this band is the peculiar sound that comes from the vocals of the lead male singer. A voice which immediately reminded me of the fantastic folk-punk band 'Andrew Jackson Jihad', with both vocalists sharing the same frantic delivery and metre that can't help but inspire the listener to truly believe in the words that they are hearing.
This album lyrically isn't the strongest thing you will hear this year, it is full of twee phrases and imagery, simple yet clever wordplay and unpretentious tales of the world that surrounds them. But it is in these stories of the locale that this album truly flourishes and in the song 'Suburban Homesick Blues' the band transcend from being a product of their culture to being masterful critics of it.
All in all, it is fair to say that Mount Righteous wont convert everyone that hears them, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will have alot of fun trying to do so.
5/10
Twin Shadow - Forget (Terrible Records)
Forgetting The Present By Embracing The Past
Twin Shadow is one of the latest products of an emerging wave of talented bedroom artists - and by bedroom artists I mean individuals with the ability to conjure up full band sounds with often, just the aid of a sampler, keyboard and some software. This new century seems to be the age of the introverted and a new found embracing for creative isolation, with some of the best new music around today (Atlas Sound and various chill-wave artists) being produced from this humble artistic surrounding.
Although this is very much a fashionable style of music at the moment, Twin Shadow is by no means replicating what is around him to make a quick entrance on this scene - this is well crafted pop, with clear and individual intent. The first thing that strikes me about this record is the clarity of the pulsating drum machine which cuts through each track and makes it impossible for the body to resist twitching to its piercing call. Unlike many of his peers, Twin Shadow has made an album to dance to - slotting the infectious beats of 'When We're Dancing' into the record early. It catches you with something familiar yet distant, a sound of the past being packaged ready for the modern listener who is being invited to join him in an outsiders disco soundscape.
With silky smooth vocals which often wander into a pastiche-like nod towards Morrissey and various bands of the British Post-Punk era, this album is unambiguously influenced by all things 80's- blending the class and eloquence that the aforementioned Post Punk bands oozed, with the distinct dance infections of the new wave.
The only real problem I have with this album is the cover artwork. Which looks like it came from an early underground hip hop release, but assuming that this bedroom bum only had Microsoft Paint at his disposal, it would be benevolent to hold this against him.
7/10
Although this is very much a fashionable style of music at the moment, Twin Shadow is by no means replicating what is around him to make a quick entrance on this scene - this is well crafted pop, with clear and individual intent. The first thing that strikes me about this record is the clarity of the pulsating drum machine which cuts through each track and makes it impossible for the body to resist twitching to its piercing call. Unlike many of his peers, Twin Shadow has made an album to dance to - slotting the infectious beats of 'When We're Dancing' into the record early. It catches you with something familiar yet distant, a sound of the past being packaged ready for the modern listener who is being invited to join him in an outsiders disco soundscape.
With silky smooth vocals which often wander into a pastiche-like nod towards Morrissey and various bands of the British Post-Punk era, this album is unambiguously influenced by all things 80's- blending the class and eloquence that the aforementioned Post Punk bands oozed, with the distinct dance infections of the new wave.
The only real problem I have with this album is the cover artwork. Which looks like it came from an early underground hip hop release, but assuming that this bedroom bum only had Microsoft Paint at his disposal, it would be benevolent to hold this against him.
7/10