Review: Alex Cornish - Call Back

So, the holidays are over, the kids are back at school and the weather is closing in. This can only mean one thing for you lovely blog-botherers, and that is the return of Mainly Genius.

First, an(other) apology. Whilst I had intended to take a break over the summer months, I admit that I did it rather abruptly and without prior warning. This, coupled with the fact that my Lyrics of the Week section hasn’t been updated for over 13 weeks now, makes for a rather neglected blog. Anyway, let us not delay the return any longer and restart with something of an exclusive for this, the pokiest of music blogs.

Out at the end of this month (27^th September) is the second album from Scotland-based singer-songwriter Alex Cornish. Having been in possession of the album - entitled Call Back - for a while now I thought I had better make good on my promise to review the album and, having appropriated, digested and appraised it, I’m happy to report that it’s been well worth the wait.

This album’s predecessor - Until the Traffic Stops – was a generally positive affair that featured some obvious standout tracks but lacked a certain something so bring it up to the next level. Whilst the DIY feel of the album was well executed, it still sounded homemade. Call Back however, is a different matter. Regardless of where it’s origins lie (the answer being both at home and in the Watercolour Studios in the Highlands of Scotland), the DIY sound in this album improves it and has clearly allowed Alex Cornish the freedom and creativity that might not have been there in a big London studio.

The album begins with it’s title track and we are immediately opened up to the emotion and raw sound that Cornish produces. It’s a short, almost acoustic track that sounds like it’s at the wrong end of the album - such is it’s sadness - but is actually a very clever way of pre-empting the rest of the record and immediately sets the scene for which the rest builds back up to.

Lead single Once More I’m Put To The Test and lead-single-sounding Don’t Hold Me Back are both catchy and well-crafted songs and are much more interesting than they have any right be considering they’re essentially chords on an acoustic guitar.

Mid-point Like John Lennon Said has the brightest lyrics on the record and is a more regretful sister of the title track, whilst The Shame is another standout track that has single written all over it and really shows what the genre of ‘singer-songwriter’ should be about (and blowing plenty of other more popular artists out of the water at the same time).

Overall this album doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but that’s not what it sets out to do or needs to do. It picks up where Until The Traffic Stops left off and builds on the groundwork laid by that album over a year ago to great effect. Songs such as Like John Lennon Said, The Shame and the title track ensure that this isn’t just your normal singer-songwriter fare, and the emotion and soul in Cornish’s voice almost force you to believe in what he says.

Whilst this market might be over saturated at the moment, Call Back stands out from the crowd and should ensure that Alex Cornish and the music he creates continues to make waves in both the folk and mainstream genres. A diamond in the rough well worth the asking price.

Visit Alex’s official website or listen on MySpace.

Buy the album on iTunes or pre-order from Amazon.

Because I’m so indecisive and because I like the album so much, there are three tracks for your listening pleasure if you head over to the Mother-Blog on Wordpress. Like John Lennon Said and The Shame are both available for download for your further appraisal and stream-only (but no less brilliant) are the title track Call Back and first-album highlight King of Hearts.

Review: Tom Stephens - Division (EP)

Before we go anywhere I must offer my apologies for my lack of recent posting. As is often the case during the summer months, I’ve been away having much fun and neglecting this blog. But I’m here now and before I leave you all again, I’ve managed squeeze in a little gem for your listening pleasure. And the good news is that’s totally free.

Today’s offering comes from the guitar of singer/songwriter Tom Stephens and his first outing as a solo artist. Spending most of his music career to this point as frontman for various different bands (one of which springs to mind…), this short EP marks a departure from rock music and is very much in the realm of all that is acoustic.

Opener My Rosie is unquestionably the highlight and isn’t just your usual singer/songwriter fare. Whilst all the pieces are there for a Damien Rice regurgitation (acoustic guitars, double bass, strings), what we actually get is a dark and slightly angular track that makes full use of the acoustic guitar’s resonant capabilities. Tom’s impassioned and rough-round-the-edges voice adds real character and emotion to create a clever feeling of sympathy rather than tear-jerking sadness.

Whilst the EP doesn’t quite rise to these heights again, the Nick Drake inspired strings on third track Family Tree, are another interesting play on the normal format. It begins nicely enough, but it’s not until the strings rise and sway that the song really begins to lift and show how a simple chord pattern can be given a new life with the simplest of additions.

However, despite the excellent string arrangement and high quality of songwriting, I can’t help but feel that the EP is a touch overambitious and muddy in places.

The double bass employed on It Could Happen To You should work in principle but on the record it just doesn’t sit well with the acoustic guitars. It sounds clunky, overcomplicated and actually works against the stripped back simplicity of tracks such as the aforementioned It Could Happen To You and My Rosie.

And despite the beauty of the string arrangement on Family Tree, it’s sounds separated from the rest of the song. The acoustic guitar struggles to cope with the depth and vastness a string section brings and, if drums or percussion aren’t an option (which is understandable), perhaps there’s a case to be made for the stripped back sound we hear on the rest of the EP, to come into play a little more rigorously here.

But please don’t misunderstand me. Overall this is a very accomplished record. The high production values are a welcome change and should be a template for others in the same genre. Similarly, the quality of songwriting stands above many of those with far greater reputations and hints something very exciting to come.

Whilst it may not be the finished article yet, it’s an extremely solid base on which to build and is up there with Dark Mean’s Music Box (EP) as my favourite free download of 2010.  Get it while you can.

Download Division (EP) for free or visit Tom Stephens

Over on the Mother-Blog are My Rosie and Family Tree from the excellent and soulful Division (EP) by Tom Stephens. My Rosie is available to download but you can get the whole shebang for free right here.

Review: Exit Calm - Exit Calm

Rewind back to 2006 and Exit Calm hardly existed. Struggling local heroes that had yet to approach anything resembling the big time and, after a sudden break-up, lacking a front man and a leader.

But come screaming back into the present and Exit Calm are on their way up fast. They’ve found an excellent frontman in Nicky Smith and after releasing their self-titled debut last Monday (17th May), have set the bar high for this summer’s new music.

Happily for you dear readers, I am fortunate enough to posses a copy of this album and after a few weeks of digestion and appreciation, I’m going to share my thoughts with the (English-speaking) world.

The album starts as it means to go on (and actually how it is the whole way through) with six-minute opener You’ve Got It All Wrong which, from the moment the atmospheric guitars home into view, is a pounding and ethereal journey through musical space. The album is produced to the bands strengths (by UNKLE collaborator Paddy Byrne don’t you know) and forms an integral part of the overall sound of the album, which is evidenced on this first track. Not only does the song stand out, but the way guitars drift across the mix and wash into the drums is something that really enhances it. Many parts pay only fleeting visits but it’s these extra attentions to detail that expand the song and pull you in.

When You Realise is a ballad of sorts (it’s a bit slower) that recalls Ocean Rain era Echo & the Bunnymen and one of my personal favourites, Reference, is a powerful and intense song that has all the good flavours of The Verve and Mainly Genius stalwarts The Boxer Rebellion, but with a kind of downward pressure that makes the listener really sit up and take notice.

However, Exit Calm are a smart band and it’s no coincidence that current single Hearts and Minds is the outstanding track from the album. It’s got the strongest melody and is the track where everything seems to click into place. The bass and drums anchor the song and form a concrete base on which atmospheric guitars dart and cascade under Nicky Smith’s floating melody. He declares “It’s a fight between your heart and mind” as the song gradually comes to a raucous conclusion that serves up massive drums and huge guitars in spades.

One criticism that has been levelled at the band is repetition. There is a very set and rigid sound that they’ve adopted and a departure from the constant drums might’ve helped to break up the album and bring it back down to Earth. To be frank though, I’m not sure I really agree with that especially considering the beautiful (and yes, atmospheric) closing track Serenity. Exit Calm is what it is and that’s an atmospheric, powerful and ethereal journey of great songs. If you’re expecting variety then that can be found elsewhere.

Like many before them, Exit Calm will probably be declared Britain’s latest great band, but this time there could be a small grain of truth hidden away somewhere in that statement. The album they’ve produced is a fantastically epic and atmospheric journey through space and shows a real knack for melody and a confident and slightly unique sound that really deserves success. If you’re a fan of Interpol, Editors or any number of similar bands I urge you to give this album a go, you won’t regret it.

Exit Calm are on tour throughout the summer and you can find tour dates and purchase the album on their website or myspace. If you head to the Mother-Blog on Wordpress, you can hear current single and album highlight Hearts and Minds and also the beautiful closer Serenity.

Lyrics of the Week #3: Alberta Cross - Ghost of City Life

This week’s marvellous instalment comes from New York based rock band Alberta Cross and, more specifically their excellent 2009 debut album Broken Side of Time.  It combines elements of country, pop and straight-ahead rock to form a refreshing and upbeat album that is one of those records you find that you keep playing.

The only song on the album that isn’t upbeat however, is where we get the lyrics of the week for today. Lyrically speaking, album closer Ghost of City Life does pretty much what it says on the tin, that being a sorrowful lament for an unnamed and faceless city. It’s a beautiful track in it’s own right and that is only enhanced by it’s rueful and almost angry lyrics. They’re great the whole way through but for reasons of capacity, I’m only going to share on the first verse:

“How about believing? How about some faith?

I’m tired of remorse. How about some truth now, honey?”

An immediate attack on an unnamed target not only presents some subdued anger, but also has hints of regret and sorrow that gives it a real fragility. The questions asked show that the narrator has reached  breaking point and suggest in the following line that they’ve perhaps become tired of being blamed or being forced to accept defeat.

Whilst these lyrics suggest the breakdown of love, the song’s title references disillusionment with city and it’s unforgiving nature. We could surmise then that the ‘honey’ referenced in the lyrics could be a personification of the city and that the anger that the narrator feels, or the truth that they wants is directed at an unnamed city that has broken them.

Overall this is beautiful song and one that is of great value on an album of rock. Don’t forget you can get it in it’s entirety over at the Mother-Blog on Wordpress and, if you like what you hear, I really urge you to give Broken Side of Time, the album from which it’s taken, a listen.

Alberta Cross are a band that are getting the success their music deserves and I for one, am a huge fan.

Visit Alberta Cross and get the album.

Review: Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil

Okkervil River are a great band. As a fan for a couple of years now, it’s always exciting when they release new material.

Their 2005 album Black Sheep Boy is a prime example of their quirky, twisted pop-rock sound and is rightly considered their masterpiece. Songs such as The Latest Toughs and For Real conjure real interest with their slightly left-of-centre lyrics and almost lo-fi production. Even slower numbers such as So Come Back, I Am Waiting and A Stone has a primal element amongst the grace and sadness that only adds to the power of the song.

As you can see from my little mini-review, I’m a fan of Okkervil River. However, I was more than a little surprised to see that their latest venture was in collaboration with aging psychedelic rocker Roky Erickson. I mentioned in my post about this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas (from where both artists hail), that they could be an interesting combination and one that I boldly predicted will really hold their own. Erickson’s heartfelt lyrics should sit well with Okkervil River’s quirky, lo-fi but ultimately pop-based instrumental qualities, I said.

But now I’ve finally come into possession of True Love Cast Out All Evil, the album that came from this newly formed group, I’m not so sure.

It starts with the Okkervil River boys firmly in control. Along with closing track God is Everywhere, album opener Devotional Number One is one of those kind-of-arty, deliberately lo-fi tracks and has all the hallmarks of the band. However, odd chord changes and deliberately poor sound quality might work on an Okkervil River record, but doesn’t really highlight the strength’s that lie in Erickson’s fragile voice, only serving to be unnecessarily harsh and slightly irritating.

And it’s a theme that doesn’t just lie at either end of the album either. Whilst there may not be much more lo-fi sounds, songs such as Birds’d Crashed and Be and Bring Me Home still seem forced and at times overcomplicated. Be and Bring Me Home stands out as a track that has been to far removed from Erickson’s country style and this results in a song that sounds to much like Okkervil River for it’s own good. Again, as a stand-alone Okkervil River track, it works. But Erickson strains to hard to fit in and overall just doesn’t blend.

However, all is not lost. Not by a long way.

The title track is a prime example of when the collaboration does work. Along with Goodbye Sweet Dreams, it becomes less obvious that it’s Okkervil River leading the way and sounds much more like a group working together. Erickson’s interesting and dark lyrics are cast in a new light, whilst his voice is given a different life thanks to the clever use of guitar sounds. Please Judge is a heartfelt plea to justice and Bring Back The Past is upbeat and pop-inflected tune that really would’ve sounded great at SXSW 2010.

However, it’s Forever that’s the highlight. There is some over-complication that occasionally creeps in to , but the quality of the song and the ethereal sense that it has trump any doubts. Starting with a slow acoustic guitar, it slowly builds into a track thats not unlike The Flaming Lips circa The Soft Bulletin. Guitars dart all across the musical spectrum, an organ underpins the pounding and relentless drum pattern and Erickson’s finest hour comes as the song builds into a marvelous finish.

So all in all, True Love Cast Out All Evil was a touch underwhelming. Maybe I should’ve expected a little less with something that’s only part Okkervil River, but their musical history is littered with brilliance that’s hard to ignore. The album feels as though it was a bit rushed and contains an unsettling air of insecurity. Overall it’s good, but not great. Exciting, but not for to long.

However, I must stress that if you get the chance, True Love Cast Out All Evil is worth checking out despite my negativity. Tracks such as Forever, Goodbye Sweet Dreams and Bring Back The Past are gems and make the album a worthwhile buy. With time, Roky Erickson & Okkervil River will improve and the songs will go with that. All the right elements are present but perhaps not in the right order just yet. Understandably, fans of Okkervil River might be a little unsure as would those of Roky Erikson, but I’ve no doubt that this collaboration will win many more fans for both artists and for them as a group, than it alienates. I look forward to the next installment in as much hope as excitement.

Visit Roky Erickson & Okkervil River and get the album.

Visit Okkervil River (and get the brilliant Black Sheep Boy)

Visit Roky Erickson

Don’t forget to visit the Mother-Blog over on Wordpress to get hold of Goodbye Sweet Dreams and album highlight Forever in their entirety. Both are excellent examples of when the combination of Okkervil River and Roky Erickson really does work. Dark and melodic, they’re well worth a listen.