ALBUM REVIEW: Cut The Funk - 'Weekend Coda'

Last month Kent-based funk quintet Cut The Funk played an intimate gig at Brighton Komedia, as part of their south coast UK tour in support of the release of their debut album 'Weekend Coda'.  Unfortunately the gig was quite sparsely attended, which didn't seem to make much sense as other dates in larger venues of the tour had sold out. Clearly Brighton is still recovering a little bit on Monday nights and isn't willing to take a punt on some funk. Their loss I can safely say.

The set was filled with original tracks from the group, not all too common amongst funk bands who are often limited to Stevie Wonder and Tamla Motown tracks (not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is always nice to hear something fresh!). They played a couple of cover tracks, in the vein of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis: the more serious side of jazz without going too far off the rails. The group performed extremely tightly as a unit, even if they didn't look like the most coherent group on stage with their dress and demeanor. The music was intricate and virtuosic, without going too far, which I think is a very fine line on the jazz side of things. 

Here is my track by track breakdown of his debut album, 'Weekend Coda', which is available to buy now on itunes for just £7.99.

1. Blue Milk - Opening with a dreamlike Ron Burgundy style scalic passage on the jazz flute, the track drops in just before the 1 minute mark into a classic funk groove as the saxophone takes over the lead for this instrumental head arrangement. Would sound great in Casablanca on a Thursday night!

2. Afroturf - Starting with a particularly rhythmic percussion part which carries on throughout the chirrups of the saxophone and flute, the track is underpinned by bass and guitar riffs which are barely audible, until the brass drops out about 3 minutes 30 into the track and they each get a little space to improvise, albeit quite quietly.

3. (Ain't No Thing But A) Chicken Wing - Starting with a guitar riff this time, the pitch-bending opening, which is joined by an ambient synth and sparse drums, is simple yet effective. The sax in the verse has a slight Baker Street cheesy feeling to it, possibly playing it a little safe melodically and not venturing too far into the jazzy sphere of things. Whilst I know there is a difference in styles between jazz and funk, I think the track lacks a certain panache and gets a little tired towards the end. Check out a live video of the track below, from December 2011. 

4. The Promise - Very upbeat with some cool synth sounds, funky guitar riffs and precise brass parts, this track has everything that I wanted the previous track to deliver and then some. A really catchy number and definitely my favourite from the album so far. Have a look at the video below and see if you agree! 

5. Art Dart - Spaced and mellow, almost like a Lionel Richie ballad to start, the guitar lines and opening sax parts are smooth, classy and well balanced by the razor sharp percussion. The structure and textures in the last couple of tracks are far more developed than the opening few and come across as far more polished to my ears, avoiding the slight feeling of repetition from some of the earlier riffs.

6. Cut The Funk - As the band's signature track, from the name anyway, you would be right to expect big things from this number. To start with, it is the first track to include vocals so far, with a chorus of voices chanting "cut the funk" as the track unwinds. Whilst I was hopeful that the song was going to deliver some more vocals, this doesn't extend any further than some backing vocal oohs and the "cut the funk" which keeps appearing, slightly feeling comedic to me, offering little to develop the track and seeming a curious time to break the vocal silence thus far. Otherwise the track has some great drumming and cool little fills, just a few too few words for my liking!

7. The Velvet Gutter - With the brass not coming in til about 45 seconds into the track, it gives the other instruments a chance to do their thing in the foreground, with a nice keyboard chord progression and some interesting guitar, bass and drum parts going on. The balance is just right in this track for me, alternating between the parts taking the dominance in the mix, whereas at other times the sax seems a little too prominent. The guitar solos towards the final third of the track add a nice change to the texture and sound great.  

8. Funk Credit Card - Opening with a solo breathy jazz flute solo before the beat drops, this instrument has a really pleasing texture to it, contrasting with the typical funk sound in the other sections. The bass solo in the middle stands out in the good way and the general feel of the track is an exciting one. Check out a live video of the track below.  

9. Five Knuckles - A lounge style piano intro with some lovely chords leading into a boogie-woogie track over a shuffle beat, this track stands out from the other by a mile in terms of style. The gallop of the percussion transforms the direction of the album and offers a welcome mix up to the order of play in my books.  

10. Blazer - Returning to the feel of the starting tracks, 'blazer' is quite a traditional sounding funk track. The chorus sounds a little too like some of the other tracks for my liking and the effect on the saxophone kind of irritated me, but perhaps that was just me. Have a listen below and see what you think.

11. Herbie's Grinder - Thanks to the cool fills and interesting harmonies this track is a strong end to an album that for me had its ups and downs. The nice electric guitar solos are the highlight of this track for me, providing a little more of a rocky edge to it. The textures here are nice and the space for the instruments each to share the fill space make up for a slight over-dominance of the sax throughout the album. Hopefully the band's future releases will sound a bit more democratic and balanced. 

This isn't really the sort of album that you listen to in your bedroom; it's much better when you're going for a stroll, jog, bike ride or drive. The movement compliments the music and helps to transform the environment around you into a funky place to be. The best setting of course is in a jazz club where you can see the band play and have a dance along, so if they come to a town near you for such an event, I'd say that they're well worth taking a chance on.

http://cutthefunk.com/

 @CUTTHEFUNK

ALBUM REVIEW: Gruff Rhys - American Interior

Whilst several artists struggle to get together a collection of ten tracks together to release for their latest album, Gruff Rhys went all out with his latest solo album, 'American Interior', the follow up to his award-winning third album 'Hotel Shampoo', with a complete package including a film, book, mobile phone app and of course the CD itself.

Best known as the front-man of Welsh psychedelic rock group Super Furry Animals ,Gruff has performed in many bands and has experience in a wide spectrum of the arts from performing, recording and producing music, to storytelling, songwriting, film-making and film composition. His latest solo release, his fourth to date, showcases a wider range of these skills than any of his previous albums has explored, with a vast multiplatform release making his new record stand high above the rest of the crop.

"The project is set in 1792 and tells the true story of John Evans, a 22-year old farmhand from Snowdonia, North Wales, who set off to America to discover if the rumours were true and there was a Welsh-speaking Native American tribe, called The Madogwys, walking on the Great Plains. During the course of an extraordinary adventure, Evans wrestled the largest river reptiles ever seen in the Mississippi, hunted Bison with the Omaha tribe, defected to the Spanish in St Louis, discovered imaginary volcanoes in Missouri, annexed North Dakota from the British, and created the map that guided Lewis and Clark on their legendary expedition." 

Here is my track by track guide to the album 'American Interior'. Led by the prominent drums and piano with filtered vocals and plenty of technical wizardry going on towards the back of the mix, the album is a rich cluster of styles, sounds and stories.

01. American Exterior 

The album is introduced with a pulsing synthesizer that sounds something like an alien's phone ringing in outer space with heavily chorused, flanged and phased vocals repeating the title of the album, as the drums build up to the start of the first real track, 'American Interior'.

02. American Interior 

Led by rumbling piano chords, and the drums from the intro track, 'American Interior' has a slight Ziggy Stardust feel to it. The repeated "American Interior" refrain is used extensively throughout the track in both the verse and chorus sections, even popping up in the middle-8 guitar solo, which leads into the strings playing a somber harmony underpinning the layers of voices and the track becomes noisier without getting louder. Check out the official video for the track below. 

03. 100 Unread Messages 

A driving drum beat and unaccompanied vocals start the track, as the other instruments fade in. The feeling of the track is that of an American folk/country song that you would imagine being sung by a man in dungarees whilst playing a banjo (and if there is anybody out there who chooses to cover this track, I think that would be a great way to go!) but the instrumentation is contemporary with guitars, synths, piano and drums. The effect is that the song has a vintage feel with a modern twist, which I think works really well together.

04. The Whether (Or Not)  

Another quite trippy sounding vocal track, which reminds me some The Beatles songs, such as 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. The track combines catchy short pop hooks with an experimental development of harmony in this expansive track, doused as the others are with prominent piano and drums in the mix.  

05. The Last Conquistador 

The Beatles vibe definitely continues with this track, from the narrative style to the simple accompaniment and even down to the drum fills. From the story of John Evans, I assume that this track is about the part when he defected to the Spanish in St. Louis. The outro is spaced and gentle, winding into the next track. 

06. Lost Tribes 

With lots of vocal and synth layers, Lost Tribes in places sounds like a cross between A-HA, Pet Shop Boys and Wham!'s Last Christmas (without the sleigh-bells and cheesy video of course!). 

07. Liberty (is where we'll be) 

This was the first track that I heard from the album and I was hooked straight away from the seductive string riff, which had the sleekness of John Barry's orchestration in the James Bond films. The vocals and piano parts work well together, sounding like a 90s ambient dance track. The production is fantastic, mixing in a lot of layers with utmost precision. This is my favourite track from the album after first listen through and I think it will take a lot to shift it. See the official video below. 

08. Allweddellau Allweddol

Just in case anybody was uncertain of Gruff's heritage, this track is sung entirely in Welsh, probably unsurprising from the title which loosely translates to "Keyboard Key". The children's voices loop throughout the track, seeming slightly stranger after the drop at 2:20 where the tempo increases and it started to feel like a bit of an underground rave anthem.

  

09. The Swamp 

A simple riff, simple development and simple lyrics combined to make a simple yet great track.

"I'm just a tourist passing you by

I'm just a passenger saying goodbye"

10. Iolo 

With the momentum of a moving train, the drums, strings and vocals push this track forward at breakneck speed. Even without lyrics, the music still seems to tell a story. It is possible that this track is about the influential Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg who was around at the time that the story was set. See a live video of the song below.  

11. Walk Into The Wilderness 

One of the simpler songs on the album, Walk Into The Wilderness has a much more typical structure and stripped back production, showcasing the songwriting more than the studio techniques, of which Gruff is clearly a pro at. The exposed vocal over the raw piano chords just past the half-way point of the song show a new vulnerability to the album, which I think is a nice colour to add to the palette. See a live video of the song below.

12. Year Of The Dog

"I was born in the year of the dog" is the catchy hook in this track which looks at astrology of the Chinese Zodiac signs. The chorus of verses in the chorus gives the song a warm lift into an almost poppy number. The album seems to be taking the listeners back into reality after the journey it has taken them on so far.

13. Tiger's Tale

Bringing the album to a close, Tiger's Tale is an instrumental coda, moving through a lot of textures from the first half of the album in a melodic summary of the record. I can imagine this track being used at the end of the set as the band one by one walk off the stage, tipping their hats to the audience on their way off the stage. 

http://www.gruffrhys.com/

@gruffingtonpost

Kate Daisy Grant - Portrait - Album Review

Friday 5th September at The Old Market in Hove marks the album launch for Kate Daisy Grant's 'Portrait' AND a preview of new material from Nick Pynn's forthcoming album 'Waterproof'. A pair of multi-instrumentalists playing together ensures that there will be a great display of musical wonder, especially when Daisy lists her instruments including toy-piano, autoharp, dulcitone, cello, toy bells and teapot. Kate's award-winning songwriting is described as "haunting howl-ballads, twisted lullabies and joy-toy-pop", a combination that I've certainly never heard of before and am intrigued by as I am sure you all are! As the winner of the Best Music Act Award of the Brighton Fringe and Festival in 2013, and a host of rave reviews from across the country, I am looking forward to seeing what this evening has in store!

Here is my track by track breakdown of the new album 'Portrait'. 

Full of delicate vocals with dancing melodies, lots of piano and a grand parade of auxiliary instruments, Portrait takes you on a musical sight-seeing tour from the circus bazaar opener through to the understated finale.

1. Six Feet Under
If like me, you were expecting a macabre and solemn tale from the title then you couldn't be more wrong. It sounds like the circus has come to town to throw a underground party in a crypt. With the old-time feel piano part and the sweeping violin giving a gypsy jazz vibe, the song combines a wide range of sounds in a slightly chaotic way, yet still managed to have a catchy chorus in the mix!
  
2. Doubt
Vocally this track has wisps of Imogen Heap with flavours of Regina Spektor on the piano and in the voice too. Far more stripped back than the first track, but steadily building with percussion and a strong cello part, the vocals elegantly prance through the lower and upper registers of the spectrum. There's some really nice lyrics in this track too: 
"It's only a landing light, and thought the moon had altered its course"

3. Little Bird
The use of toy piano sounds quite dream-like, or kind of children's tv show theme-like, both evoking happy emotions. The song itself is a slalom of musical tonality, underpinned once again with the warm bass notes of the cello. Check out the official video for the track below and see what comes to mind!

4. Resurrection
Bat For Lashes meeting Muse and getting the blues, this song is passionate and sounds kind of bitter yet oddly uplifting. The prominent vocal opening the track is almost a cappella, bar various percussion and sparsely distributed samples, until the piano provides a more rigid structure, sitting underneath the rest of the song. Listen to the track on her soundcloud below.   


5. Fight The Night
This song would fit in well in a musical I think. It has a sort of "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables feeling. I can imagine somebody belting this out on X-Factor in a few years time. It's delicate yet sure-footed, like a mountain goat.

6. Boy Who Cries for The World
Another quite theatrical song, underpinned with a warm chorus of brass. Lyrically it reminds me of Guy Garvey (Elbow) which is certainly a very good thing indeed! The 

7. Stillpoint
Lovely song, lovely lyrics, lovely stuff!
"You were the stillpoint of it all, a heavy kind of light, always looking down
Portraits, maps and bones, tracing paper layers
If you want to paint me, paint me alone
If you want me make me, make me from stone." 

8. Rise
An uplifting song (both in spirit and pitch), Rise is a get up and get out there kind of song:  "You'd better find a life before living takes the life out of you". 
Have a little listen to the track below. 


9. Nothing to Fear
Another stripped back piano ballad with a difference: Nothing to Fear swells up around the 3 minute into a warm mesh of wooshing vocals and fiddly instrumental parts. 

10. Silent Night
Initially unsure if this was going to be a cover of the Christmas song, I can reveal ***SPOILER ALERT*** that it isn't! Although, fragments of the initial melody do have some resemblance, but the song is far less cyclic than the Christmas favourite, developing the melody throughout until its gentle fade out into the distance as the album winds down 

http://www.katedaisygrant.com/

@katedaisygrant

Luke Sital-Singh - The Fire Inside - Album Review

After seeing Luke Sital-Singh perform for the first time last month at Latitude Festival I did a little digging and found three pieces of good news: Firstly he was coming to Brighton to perform in September; secondly he had just released a collection of cover songs that he recorded from his favourite films (including great tracks by The Shins, Simon and Garfunkel and the like); and finally his debut out was due for release soon (OUT NOW).

For those of you in Brighton, or elsewhere that he is playing in his UK tour, I would strongly urge you to have a listen to his music and if it's your cup of tea then get on down to a show near you! It's really important to support emerging artists at the early stages of their career and to support your local music scene too. The venues aren't massive and the ticket prices aren't in the hundreds so why not have a great night out for around a tenner! For the Brightonians amongst you, as well as Karima Francis who is supporting for the whole tour, we have local minstrel Jacko Hooper, whose debut EP 'For You' was released last month and is rather fantastic. Check out my review of it here of have a listen below.

Here is my track by track breakdown of his debut album, 'The Fire Inside', which is available to buy now on itunes for just £6.99.

1. Nothing Stays The Same - Opening with an "ooh" reminiscent of Ben Howard's 'The Wolves' without fear of imitation. With a simple melody and uplifting chorus (which when played live at Latitude was with the backing of London Contemporary Voices) the first track has the passion of Frank Turner and astute relatable lyrics which show that his view of the world is a keen one:

 "Let your guard down

Get your heart pounded

We all bleed

We all breathe

And nothing stays the same"

2. Greatest Lovers - The chorus effect on the guitar at the start sounds slightly 80s/90s, like a Chris Isaak or The Smiths intro. In a music scene filled with introspective shoegazing self-deprecating acoustic folk, it is very refreshing to have an uplifting track, even moreso one that sounds like an uptempo Damien Rice track (in fact I can imagine him doing a down-beat version which would be equally great).

  

3. Bottled Up Tight - This song is a bit of a dark horse. It starts simply with a finger-picked guitar accompaniment and a soft vocal, remaining under the radar even in the first chorus: 

"I feel a fire, 

I see a flame set me alight,

Bring me desire bottled up tight" 

Then the drums and piano kick in and the song builds and builds for the last few minutes, moreso than your average construction site manages in a week.

4. 21st Century Heartbeat - A social commentary, unrestricted by location or social class, simply looking at the crazy world that we live in at the present, wherever we are on earth! 

5. Lilywhite - A touching piano ballad in the style of Billy Joel (more my parent's generation) or Fyfe Dangerfield, which once again builds and swells as it progresses organically. 

6. Nearly Morning - This track is like an un-Americanized version of a Secondhand Serenade track, with less sap and better lyrics. Once again the vocal layering in the backing sounds great - a good tip for any aspiring songwriters out there is to befriend a fantastic choir so you can replicate this live! The a cappella bit at the end could probably be drawn out a little longer, but maybe that's for the live shows!

7. I Have Been A Fire - Sparse to the point of almost a cappella, the vocals dominate this track like a Jeff Buckley song, with an almost Bon Jovi like rise in the chorus and when the distorted guitar enters after the second time around. Powerful stuff!

8. Everything Is Making You - Definitely getting a Starsailor vibe from this track, with maybe a bit of Travis thrown into the mix. Acoustic led with throaty vocals, underpinned by the percussion and backing vocals, this song will definitely come to life when played live.

9. Fail For You - Starting with a chorus of voices over a Buckley-esque reverbed clean electric guitar, the lush harmonies and emotive lyrics are sure to draw a few tears for those of a gentle disposition, in a post-breakup lull or who have seen too many charity adverts that day. In all seriousness, it is a beautiful track. Watch the official video below. 

"I bought you the sky and the oceans too

Why the look in your eye

The only thing I couldn't do

Is fail for you, fail for you"

10. We Don't Belong - Juxtaposing the softest track on the album so far with this upbeat almost-boogie piano led track, the album is never stagnant, jumping all over the place but not in a random uncontrolled way as many do. I can definitely see this song in a future Zach Braff film. Check out my review of the soundtrack to his current release "Wish I Was Here" here.

11. Cornerstone -Like a philosopher in the audience of Question Time, Luke's words definitely carry more weight than perhaps taken in at first listen, questioning himself as well as the others around him in this song: "Every life needs a cornerstone, and are you mine?"

12. Benediction - Closing the album on a somber note, in the vein of 'Fail For You', with this piano and vocal track, like a stripped back version of The Fray or a David Gray track. You can feel the album physically unwind, like when you take a hot bath after a long day at work. 

The album is a time-matured collection of his works so far, not rushed and not compromised. The production is excellent and the variety is impressive. The backing vocal arrangements are brilliant so kudos to whoever did those! Luke's songwriting is mature and charismatic without shouting for attention, and his vocal abilities should not be overlooked in this stunning paragon debut album. The future looks to be very bright for Luke from where I am looking.

http://lukesitalsingh.com/

@lukesitalsingh  

Wild Rivers - All The Lights Album Review - My Five Standout Tracks

Last month Brighton two piece Wild Rivers released their debut album All The Lights with an Album Launch night at Sticky Mike's Frog Bar. Unfortunately I was unable to make the gig, but here is the pick of my favourite tracks from the LP. Check it out on bandcamp now. It's available to download for just £3.

Track 1. Different Roads - With the album title in the opening line, I guess you could call this the title track of the album. Nice guitar hook lines give this song an edgy feel, combined with the strong rock drum beat. The song is made up of short verse and chorus sections which work really well together, followed neatly by the middle 8, guitar solo and vocal and drum re-introduction of the chorus at the end to bring it home. A confident start to their debut LP.



Track 4. Learning to Love - The cheeky chaps managed to get the album title into this track's lyrics too! Perhaps all part of a cunning subliminal marketing scheme. Either way, with addition of the piano on this track and a catchy chorus this track is another great addition to the album. It kind of reminds me a little of other local act FranClassic without the beatboxing.



Track 8. Capital Letters - Opening the album with a track of pure acoustic pop, this song would fit in very well with the the soundtrack to "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging" with the likes of Scouting for Girls, The Rumble Strips and fictional band The Stiff Dylans.



Track 9. A Million Times - With more of a Britpop/Oasis vibe to the intro, the song quickly reverts back to the catchy upbeat indie-pop of the opening track. It kinda has the feeling of a Take That song, which for a debut album track is a real achievement.



Track 11. Find A Way - In my opinion this is by far the best track on the album.The simple acoustic and vocal at the start builds into the drop of the second verse and the incredibly catchy chorus has been stuck in my head since the very first hearing. This song could easily find a place in the Top 40 Chart. A great way to end the album, leaving the audience wanting more.

For more information about upcoming gigs, visit their facebook page.

9Bach Album Review - Tincian - 10th June 2014

I saw 9Bach playing at +Komedia Brighton last week, I was blown away by their performance - see my review here. Here is my track by track rundown of their album Tincian which was released on 12th May 2014. As the titles are in all Welsh, as all of the tracks are (excluding Asteri Mou which is in Greek), I have written the translations in parentheses afterwards. The album is fantastically folky and wonderfully Welsh and is well worth a listen! Below is an album sampler where you can hear snippets of each track.

1. Lliwau (Colours)

Sparse and chilled out with a gentle drum groove, psychadelic 70's guitar lines and an exposed vocal, Lliwau is actually a song comparing colours to the beauty of childbirth. The chorus translates to "Pretty you are like colours" just in case you wondered what you were singing along to, as it has a very catchy melody.

2. Llwynog (Fox)

Lisa Jên (lead singer of 9Bach) spoke passionately when introducing this song, declaring it a song for the underdog fox who managed to escape from the farmer, his shotgun and his dog. It can't help but bring to mind Wes Anderson's 2009 film "Fantastic Mr. Fox" with George Clooney voicing the eponymous fox. So imagine this is a song about George Clooney being hunted in the Welsh countryside if you like. 

3. Pebyll

Pebyll is a ruin located in Llanddewi, a small village in mid-Wales. The song was written after Lisa discovered it whilst walking her dog. Laced with silky elvish-sounding vocals, this track is smoother than James Bond at a cocktail party.

4. Plentyn (Child)

Starting off with breathy three-part vocal harmony, this song tells an unsettling fictional story based on a real life event of a child that is stolen away from its mother at a very young age. The additional percussive rhythms and slide guitar create a rich texture for this tragic story.

5. Wedi Torri (It's broken)

From one dark song to the next, Wedi Torri is about witnessing somebody that you love in a broken state, and the effect that it has on you as you try to desperately piece them together, often at the cost of yourself.

6. Pa Le (Which place?)

Spacious with eerie backing vocals, this traditional song is about the search for a loved one years after they were last seen. Complete with a harp breakdown section which is very pretty.

7. Ffarwél (Farewell)

An unsurprisingly somber track based on a poem from a book of locally gathered songs in Bethesda. The poem is about a quarry reflecting on the times that he used to enjoy with his friends, many of whom had since passed. The chorus of male voices adds an epic filmy sound as well as additional emotional depth to the track. 

8. Llwybrau (Pathways)

A haunting piano opens the track, with a serene, piercing and catchy vocal melody garnishing it sweetly, building up slowly as the rest of the instruments come in and worldless vocal harmonies take over. 

9. Babi'r Eirlys (Snowdrop Baby)

Full of vocal harmonies, this beautiful track is completely a capella, with reverb-laden voices layering up a rich and sleek texture. 
  
10. Asteri Mou (My Star)

Sung in Greek, Lisa's third language Asteri Mou has guitar slides, a delicate melody and a nice piano hook which is imitated by the harp. Whilst building towards the end, it is a quite subdued end to the album, winding down rather than going out with a bang, but with this type of music, that is what you want.

www.9bach.com
www.facebook.com/9bachmusic
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