Album Review: Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - 'Lotta Sea Lice'

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile have joined forces to release their collaborative project ‘Lotta Sea Lice’. Both artists have experienced success in their respective fields, Courtney is known for her garage-rock musical style, with Kurt perfecting lo-fi, indie-folk infused rock. After jamming together earlier this year, the transpacific pairing decided to get together in the studio and create a record of slacker rock tunes packed with witty lyrics and soft intimate vocal melodies.

‘Over Everything’, the album opener and first single from the project, kicks proceedings off brilliantly. Kurt's bluesy guitar licks intertwine beautifully with Courtney's lazy rhythm playing. The vocal styles of both C & K set the tone for the whole record whilst the song slowly builds to a crescendo that sounds like it could have come straight out of a demo session for an old The War On Drugs record. The relaxed charm of the project is brought to the forefront with second track 'Let It Go'. With a lazy (rather too messily played) drum section from Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint and a call and response vocal from C & K, you can really hear the intimacy of the recording process. The dueted vocals are used to profound effect, but there are little moments here where the vocal takes really lack conviction and could have been performed better.

On both 'Fear Is Like A Forest' and 'Outta The Woodwork' the duo incorporate sludging beats, blues riffs and layered vocal melodies; it's on these tracks that Kurt's influences take centre stage. On these songs, the pair show how well they complement each other both musically and vocally by putting their own spin and influence on each other’s tracks; ‘Fear Is Like A Forest’ is a cover of the Jen Cloher (Courtney's wife), while Kurt takes the lead and puts a fresh snarling twist on Barnett’s original ‘Out Of The Woodwork’.

Courtney and Kurt's folk roots take the limelight on 'Continental Breakfast' and 'Peepin' Tom'. The delicacy of the finger picked acoustic guitars on both tracks give an organic sound that fits perfectly with each artist's aesthetic. With‘Continental Breakfast', and many other tracks here, the duo show a clear mutual admiration for one another’s talent by letting each other take the reins at various stages of the song. ‘Peepin’ Tom’ is Courtney’s take on an old Kurt classic titled ‘Peeping Tomboy’. This is by far Courtney’s best moment on the record. Her vocals complement the bright guitar sections brilliantly and her conversational, deadpan delivery really gets your attention.

Overall, ‘Lotta Sea Lice’ is a very strong record. There are moments of silliness, the lyrics on ‘Blue Cheese’ for example, (“I met a girl named Tina/That girl, that girl supplies the reeferina”) and there are times when some of the songs seem to drag (there isn’t one tune here that is shorter than four minutes), but the highs outweigh the lows. It would have also been lovely to have heard a few more original compositions from the pair as ‘Over Everything’ works so well. We can only hope this is the start of a long working relationship from C & K.

7/10
 Best track - Over Everything
Worst track - On Script

Listen to 'Over Everything' here

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Album Review: St. Vincent - 'MASSEDUCTION'

'MASSEDUCTION' is the 5^th solo studio album from experimental pop pioneer Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent. Annie comes from an eclectic musical background - after studying at Berklee College of Music she began her musical career as a member of the Polyphonic Spree, before leaving to join Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. In 2007 Annie released her debut album under the St. Vincent moniker, titled ‘Marry Me’. From then on, she has received widespread critical acclaim for her thought provoking and highly distinct musical style.

Contrary to what we may have expected from the album's first singles, the record opens on a rather subdued note. ‘Hang on Me’ sets an appropriate tone for what's to follow, filled with electronic influences, droning and distorted bass lines, and a warped double-tracked vocal, that slowly build alongside spacious strings and various other melodic additions. In the second track ‘Pills’ St. Vincent turns it up a welcome notch. The harmonized guitar solo is a definite highlight, bringing a nice, nasty contrast to an otherwise playful sounding pop composition. Clark's electronic experimentation continues on the title track ‘Masseduction’, which sees her wide vocal range take the spotlight. She moves seamlessly between falsetto and captivatingly low melodies, creating different sonics throughout. The second single off the album ‘Los Ageless’ is practical pop perfection. The chorus is as catchy as any other hit, but the middle-eight is on another level entirely. Dirty guitar riffs, distorted vocals and heavy kick drums come together perfectly, showing real emotion and setting Annie apart from her more conventional pop peers.

There are some real moments of intimacy on ‘MASSEDUCTION’. ‘Happy Birthday, Johnny’ is a piano ballad that makes a feature of an intriguing and beautifully textured slide guitar. The listener could be forgiven for wanting a break from the aggression of the preceding tunes and this track duly delivers. 'Savior' is another slow builder, that starts with a sparse instrumental before industrial beats and sound design kick in with significant effect. On the penultimate track, 'Slow Disco', the expansive orchestral arrangement builds slowly against Annie’s intimate vocal, drawing in the listener in a surprisingly soothing way.

For all its positives, there are still a few missteps. When Clark introduces more up-beat tracks she seems to lose intensity. ‘Sugarboy’ has influences of Donna Summer’s disco hit ‘I Feel Love’ with an arpeggiating bass line that feels completely out of place on an album with such industrial sounding percussion elsewhere. In ‘Young Lover’ the four-on-the-floor beat feels almost lazy and falls short compared to the rest of the track listing.

With ‘MASSEDUCTION’, St. Vincent has produced a challenging body of work. The incredible production and sound design throughout throw up unexpected surprises listen after listen. There are minor hints she may be aiming for a more mainstream pop record, but with such innovation throughout, this never detracts from the experience as a whole.

8/10

Best track - Los Ageless

Worst track - Young Lover

Listen to 'Los Ageless' here

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Incoming: New Music Friday (13/10/17)

The albums we’re most excited about listening to on New Music Friday.

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice

Tomorrow, Courtney & Kurt (slacker rock pioneers, not the King and Queen of grunge) release their collaborative LP ‘Lotta Sea Lice’ through indie label Marathon Artists, home to POND and Jagwar Ma. Expect to hear slacker rock with blues riffs and witty, conversational vocals throughout. This is a highly anticipated project and a must listen to fans of both Courtney & Kurt. If the first two singles, ‘Continental Breakfast’ and ‘Over Everything’ are anything to go by, we are in for a rare treat.

King Krule – The Ooz

Archy Ivan Marshall aka King Krule is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist. ‘The Ooz’ is King Krule’s sophomore album and follow up to 2013’s ‘6 Feet Beneath the Moon’. The 23-year-old has garnered much critical acclaim for his experimental sound which combines elements of trip hop, punk jazz, and darkwave.

Check out the moody first single titled ‘Dum Surfer’ from the new project.

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION

Experimental pop princess St. Vincent (Annie Clark) is back with her 5^th studio album ‘MASSEDUCTION’. The weird and wonderful musical pioneer, who has toured with Sufjan Stevens’ backing band and had a spell in Baroque pop group The Polyphonic Spree, has had massive success over the years and we predict her new effort will arrive with similar critical praise. Annie is a master of experimental rock and electro-pop and she constantly shows her eclectic music background, nurturing it into pop brilliance.

Listen to the witty ‘Los Ageless’ now.

Wu-Tang Clan – Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues

Martin Shkreli can’t even keep the new Wu-Tang record from us. This new collection of tracks harks back to the classic sounds of 90s hip hop. Even with absent members such as GZA, this is a must listen for any hip hop advocate as the album promises an extensive 18 song track-list packed full of vintage sounding hits that we've come to expect from the legendary New York City rap collective.

Wrap your ears around ‘People Say Featuring. Redman’ here.

That's all for this week, let us know what you think in the comments and send us some new records we may have missed!

Cheers

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Track Review: Stillia - '4AM'

Stillia are are a four-piece indie rock band hailing from the Merseyside town of St. Helens.

'4AM' is the second single to be taken from their debut LP 'From Ground To Light'.

Released through Manchester's Beautiful Noise label, the anthemic track draws influence from the sounds of Catfish and the Bottlemen and Blossoms.

Front man Jack Bennett's vocals shine over catchy guitar riffs accentuated by glistening synths and an up tempo drum beat. The biggest highlight of the track is the vocal break just before the final chorus where layered harmonies take centre stage before the rest of the band kick in for the one last hurrah. Bennett's accent is easily identifiable, and it's not hard to tell the lads hail from the glorious North of England. This is the most captivating thing about the band. There are no gimmicks here, just a good old fashioned indie anthem that is sure to pull a big fan base and even bigger live following.

Stillia head out on tour in November supporting the legendary Ocean Colour Scene around Dubai, Australia and New Zealand before heading back to the UK for a headline run finishing at Camden Assembly on the 13th of December.

'4AM' is available on all good streaming services now.

You can also listen here.

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Album Review: Liam Gallagher - 'As You Were'

William John Paul Gallagher returns with his debut solo effort 'As You Were'. Liam was propelled to fame in the 90s as the lead singer of Brit Pop pioneers Oasis. After three line ups, seven studio albums, and hundreds of punch-ups with brother Noel, Oasis disbanded in 2009. Liam didn't waste much time before getting the band (partially) back together, forming new outfit Beady Eye a couple of months later. The Beady Eye dream didn't last long however, and after two studio albums they called it a day 2014. Now, after much anticipation, Liam is back with his first venture as a solo artist.

The album opens with 'Wall of Glass'; a rip-roaring, blues inspired banger. Produced by Greg Kurstin (Adele, Foo Fighters, Ellie Goulding), it appears that Liam is pandering to a new fan-base as much as his old one. The man means business with a strong vocal, dynamic drum beats and a gospel backdrop enough to make any LG fan well up with joy. Unfortunately, the pace and promise is instantly slowed down courtesy of second track 'Bold'. It is in these slower, down-tempo tracks where the strain of the years can be heard in Liam's voice. Third track 'Greedy Soul' is essentially a Beady Eye rip-off, whilst 'For What It's Worth' could have been a 'Be Here Now' B-side. Oasis fans will find their most nostalgic moments here, as well as potentially the best verses on the whole album.

There are, thankfully, several moments of brilliance. 'You Better Run' gives us what Liam does best in the form of good old fashion Rock 'n' Roll. These more energetic tracks accompanied by heavier riffs (see also 'Greedy Soul' and 'I Get By'), allow his attitude and gravelly tone to take centre stage. The highlight of the entire record must be 'Come Back to Me'. Though his brother Noel could easily have written it, Liam's performance and vocal range remind us why he was lead singer of Oasis in the first place.

 For a debut album, Gallagher has delivered something that's arguably a little obvious. Even the standout tracks sound a bit too familiar and its unlikely that the nostalgia trip will fully satiate fans. With influences appearing to come almost exclusively from past Oasis records and The Beatles (shout out to Helter Skelter popping up on 'You Better Run'), you could be forgiven for wondering where the originality is in Liam's songwriting. As the album title suggests, it's back to basics for LG x.

6/10

Best track - Come Back To Me

Worst track - Chinatown

Listen to 'Wall of Glass' here

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Incoming: New Music Friday (6/10/17)

The albums we’re most excited about listening to on New Music Friday

  

Liam Gallagher – As You Were

The younger, slightly angrier Gallagher brother is back with his first solo album since the break up of his last project Beady Eye in late 2014.

With four singles already released, the album promises to be rammed with bangers, just like the first single 'Wall Of Glass'.

Coming off the back of a packed summer festival schedule (including a massive Saturday afternoon Glastonbury slot) and the announcement of a long awaited UK tour, we can only hope the album packs the attitude and swagger we have all come to expect from the snarling Manc, obviously with copious amounts of rock ‘n’ roll thrown in for good measure.

Rationale – Self Titled

Rationale (Tinashe Fazakeley) is a Zimbabwe-born British singer songwriter with a killer voice. He delivers his self titled soulful r&b debut album tomorrow after the successful EP ‘Vessels’ released in early 2017 through Best Laid Plans Records.

The album promises to be packed full of indie synth influenced pop and, if the EP is anything to go by, this could be one hell of a debut.

Check out 'Loving Life' and 'Into The Blue' to whet your appetite before the full release.

Marilyn Manson – Heaven Upside Down

Absolute living legend Marilyn Manson returns with his first album since 2015’s ‘The Pale Emperor’.

The man literally needs no introduction, so just go ahead and check out the the brutal single 'WE KNOW WHERE YOU FUCKING LIVE' here.

The Darkness – Pinewood Smile

Grab your mums 70s spandex, The Darkness boys are back.

'Pinewood Smile' is the Lowestoft rock band’s 5^th studio album. The hilarious lyrics of Justin Hawkins and brother Dan’s guitar riffs can only be a recipe for hilarious success.

Check out 'Southern Trains' here – the brilliant ode to how shit southern rail are in London, oh and what a video!

That's all for this week, let us know what you think in the comments and send us some new records we may have missed!
Cheers

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This Is Just The Start

Nice to meet you.

Not Another Music Blog. is a blog for music lovers, by music lovers. 
No boundaries, no pigeon holes, just the best records, live shows and videos we can find to shout about.

This is just the start.
Speak soon.
xx

P.S - Here's a song we love.

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