Reviews February 2008 Page 7 Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree (EMI) ‘Seventh Tree’ is the fourth studio album from the electronica duo, and something of a departure from the glam rock of ‘Supernature’ (‘Ooh La La’ and ‘Ride A White Horse’). That works for me. While ‘Supernature’ was a good album and the singles sounded great on the radio, it’s pleasing to have the old Goldfrapp back with their folky influences and delicate ambient moments again at the forefront of their sound. The album’s centrepiece is the single, ‘A&E’ - a power ballad which wont get you reaching for the sickbag. Add to that the looped swirl of ‘Clowns’, and the epic ‘Road To Somewhere’, 70’s Moogs and gentle pianos. It’s a winner. Rob F. - Watts - One Below The All Time Low (Independent) This is how rock albums should sound. No posturing, no excess, just proper songs played with ballsy abandon. I’m guessing it’ll be comparisons to The Replacements that come most readily, but this is a less slapdash, more focused approach - I’m sure they’re drunk, but they’re still vertical. Named after the gent that bashes the skins in the Rolling Stones, the Boston quartet borrow from the best all the way through ‘One Below...’ , from 60’s garage rock to new wave, via proper punk and 70s glam rock, these guys make a superb retro rock ‘n’ roll racket. Wander over to their Myspace page for a taste of the good stuff - musical deconstructionist thrill rides don’t come much better - buy, buy, buy! www.myspace.com/wattsrock Rob F. - Breech - Tarnish And Undress (RU Records) Breech’s fifth release didn’t come easy. During or around recording, main singer-songwriter Missy Gibson knocked out a sprog, and the rhythm section upped and left - the drummer to The Kabbalah and the bassist to Sweden to farm reindeer. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. Or maybe they did, to make their press release more interesting. Still, it doesn’t seem to have effected their PJ Harvey inspired indie-folk-rock. Think a missing link between Pylon and 10,000 Maniacs and you’ll be close enough. ‘Grounded’ and ‘Keeper Of the Key’ are the tracks that stand out for me at the moment, and I grin like an idiot whenever my iPod deigns to play them. For those of you interested in this sort of thing, it should be noted that David Philips of Frank Black’s band played pedal steel on ‘Saboteur’ and ‘Unrequited’ and Rebecca Kaplan of Volebeats fame plays violin on several cuts, too. www.breech.net Rob F. - Juke Joint Jump - Woman Stop Flappin’ Yer Gums (Shack) With their gloriously un-PC album and song titles, it comes as little surprise that this UK band’s sound is rooted firmly in the past. Indeed, it’s the swing and early rock ‘n’ roll sound of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s that Juke Joint Jump draw their inspiration, and it’s a lot of fun. Songs such as ‘Big Fat Mamas (Are Back In Style Again), ‘Sweet On Her Meat’ and the title track can’t help but raise a smile, but I’m sure that it’s in front of an audience that these guys really come into their own. As it says on their Myspace page: ‘If you like Jiving, Lindy hoppin, Jitterbuggin' or Strollin then Juke Joint Jump are right up your alley. Book them for your rockin' and rollin' events and watch your dance floor bounce’! Indeed. www.jukejointjump.co.uk Rob F. - Hot Chip - Made In The Dark (EMI) Generally, no-one likes a clever-dick, but Hot Chip are different. They make it plain they’re know-it-alls, but they soften the blow by adding a little humour and wisdom. Their previous album The Warning was a bit too close to pastiche for my liking, but on Made In The Dark the balance is about right. And Alexis Taylor has got a great white-boy indie soul voice. Rob F. - Pain Jerk / Incapacitants - Live at the No Fun Fest 2007 (No Fun Productions) A torturous melding of cult Japanese noise artists, Incapacitants and Pain Jerk. An excerpt of their live performance at the No Fun Fest gives one hour of discomforting throes, lugging, agonising distress, maladroit pangs, wrenching, unfitting anguish, hurt, suffering, pulling torment, piercing, aching difficulty, wresting, splitting heavy-handedness, stabbing, harrowing, ineligible, yanking trauma, aggrieving, wringing, lurching, snapping, vexing severity, unpleasant, uncongenial irk, upset, stress, flinging strain, vellicating, dragging, throwing, maladjusted awkwardness, incapacitant, true, pain, jerk. www.nofunproductions.com Will F. Next Page Past Reviews: March 07, April 07, May 07, June/July 07, Sept/Oct 07, Dec07, Jan08