Albums I Heard In February

The Flaming Lips-Dark Side Of The Moon

Well, you can't fault the Flaming Lips for not being productive, three months after the superb double album 'Embryonic' we have a full blown cover album of Pink Floyd's 1973 classic Dark Side of the Moon. Whereas the Soft Bulletin-era Lips might have made a more faithful record, this at times sounds like cover outtakes that might have appeared on the rawer Embryonic. Unfortunately, this is not much of a success; perhaps inevitably given how familiar and justly revered the original is. It isn't even particularly necessary, as we already have the excellent reggae version 'Dub Side of the Moon' by Easy Star All Stars, but there you go. Henry Rollins is roped in to perform the spoken parts, which in the original were lofty and haunting and here are somewhat distracting, while Peaches snarls her way through 'Great Gig in the Sky' to little effect. At the same time, 'Us and Them' sounds fairly tepid, and 'Money' is just awful. The best tracks are of course, the ones that differ substantially from the originals, particularly 'On the Run' and 'Any Colour You Like' which are given a superb air of menace. That the band seem to have just knocked this one off quickly, and without much fuss I'll forgive them for, but this is easily going to be my least played Flaming Lips album.




Marina & The Diamonds-The Family Jewels
This is, for me, where the current crop of quirky female electoey singers reaches its end point. Unlike Florence, who Marina seems to rip off continuously, she is unable to work out a decent melody to be a pop star and her artier tendencies seem very contrived. Far too quirky for her own good, even her singles like 'Hollywood' and 'Mowgli's Road' come across as rather annoying. As it stands Marina & The Diamonds (oh, 'The Diamonds' are not the band they are YOU the fans! Giggle!) debut album is a dull, un-original debut release with clear bandwagon hopping tendencies on the part of her record label. That it has already been classified Silver on its pre-orders is a little worrying.




Odd Blood-Yeasayer
Delightful (at times) second album from this arty rock band, often dismissed as a poor mans MGMT. Well, while everyone is expecting their sophomore album to be a disaster, Odd Blood is a warm, upbeat yet credible listen. Unfortunately, much like MGMT's debut, it isn't quite as consistent as one would hope and it does contain some lesser tracks, particularly towards the end. Still, this is made up with songs like 'Ambling Amp' which is almost gospel like in its optimism, the luscious if very 80's 'I Remember' and especially the superb 'Love Me Girl'. It stretches too far and times, but overall its a fine listen to add to the ever increasing pile of sunny, arty American acts pile.




Four Tet-There Is Love In You
Four Tet return with a proper album a good five years after Everything Ecstatic, and its been worth the wait. 'There is Love in You' is a fragile, minimal sounding album that sounds intricate enough to make you want to revisit it. The second track and lead single 'Love Cry' is probably the best thing here, sounding almost dubsteppy but very fragile and beautiful. Probably the most 'dance' he has been, it isn't as original or effective as the outstanding 'Rounds' but its still a really good listen.




Surfer Blood-Astro Coast
Yet another warm, fuzzy, sunny surf American group to add to the pile alongside Girls, Beach House and The Antlers. Annoying, this lot are pretty good as well, they have a real talent for melodies and musically they have a nice escapist feel and make you wish it was the summer. It's unfortunate I have heard this alongside several other similar sounding, but equally good albums, but it does almost feel like a 'scene' is starting. Their debut single 'Swim' has a nice, uplifting quality to it, 'Harmonix' has a sunny/MBV ambience and 'Fast Jabroni' has a darker more urgent quality, but overall this is a consistent record that best exists as 'one'.




Johnny Cash-American VI: Ain't No Grave
Yet another posthumous release from The Man In Black. This continues (and possibly concludes) the excellent American series from Cash and producer Rick Rubin. Recorded three months before his death in 2003, most of the songs deal with death and the afterlife. Opening title track with the refrain "ain't no grave that can hold me down" seems very apt, and 'A Satisfied Mind' from the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack makes a belated appearance here. While not as strong as American IV, this is still a fine and moving album worthy of the series, with the bittersweet and moving final track Akiha Oe being a worthy finale to a long career as his version of 'Hurt'. Main complaint: it does feel a little contrived as a 'last testament' on Rick Rubin's part, but I'll let that pass.




Gil Scott-Heron-I'm New Here
Long awaited return from the celebrated and elusive 'Godfather of Hip-Hop', his voice sounds worn and withered after a sixteen year gap of drugs and imprisonment. Set to a moody electronic background its a superb, subtle record. I've recently been getting into his work and like what I've heard and this is no exception. There are a few covers (Bill Callaghan/Robert Johnson) thrown in for good measure but the originals shine through most. Only listened to this once unfortunately, but I will definitely be returning




Joanna Newsom-Have One On Me
I have been very critical in the past of Joanna Newsom, particularly her voice in her previous two albums which is capable of sending me into a rage and resembles a cat being strangled, so the concept of listening to a triple album by this harp wielding pixie would, to me, make waterboarding sound pleasurable. Thankfully, I had heard that her voice had 'matured' on this record and I can confirm that she has managed to overcome her own singing. Still, at three discs and over two hours, this is an exhausting listen. To her credit, I don't think it is meant to be swallowed hole, as I did and just dipped into. Although this is now, to me, listenable I still can't see why people think she is so brilliant. Maybe because it's 'cool' to like her, or maybe I just don't get it. Even if it was just one album, at only six tracks a disc I find her music just wanders aimlessly and varies little from track to track. As for her lyrics, she alternates between being poetic and annoyingly quirky. Either way, it's pleasant enough I suppose, and Have One On Me doesn't inspire hatred in me like her other work does. But I'm certainly not won over yet...




Older Music: My main discoveries this month have been the early solo albums of Brian Eno and mid-period Sly & The Family Stone. Eno's early albums, recorded shortly after he left Roxy Music are art-rock at its finest. 'Here Come The Warm Jets', his debut is outstanding, containing arty glam (Needle in the Camels Eye, Baby's On Fire), gorgeous ambient pieces (On Some Faraway Beach) and proto shoegaze (the stunning title track). The second album 'Taking Tiger Mountain' is a worthy follow up, but its their justly acclaimed 'Another Green World' that is really special. Here, the ambience and synth textures that would partly populate Bowie's 'Berlin Period' dominate here. 'The Big Ship' is amazingly beautiful, while 'St Elmo's Fire' is a weird pop glam workout, but this is best appreciated as a whole. As for Sly & The Family Stone, I have mainly focused on the albums 'Stand!' and 'There's A Riot Goin' On'. 'Stand!' must be one of the most uplifting albums ever, a glorious celebration of life and racial equality it really is a joyous listen, with 'I Want To Take You Higher' being it's frantic and amazing peak. 'Riot' is exactly the opposite; retreating into a druggy stupor, Stone renounced his 1960's optimism, declares his wish to be left alone and revels an a narcotic haze. Dense, difficult, but just as satisfying in a different way. Otherwise, I have been trying to get into Tom Waits, but his discography is so dense I don't know where to start. But I have listened to 'Swordfishtrombones', 'Rain Dogs' and the first disc of 'Orphans' all of which I though were excellent. I have also really enjoyed the first Tom Tom Club album, as good an electro-pop album as any I've ever heard. Also, despite their terrible name, I have recently been getting into The The, which may seem sub-Depeche Mode at times, have a handful of really good albums up their sleeve. The track 'Giant' off their first album is particularly good.