Albums I Heard In March

Gorillaz-Plastic Beach

The long awaited third album from Damon Albarn's virtual side project is a bit less immediate that the previous albums, but is still a more that worthy follow up. I've never paid any attention to the backstory or animations, so I'll focus on the music. Basically, Plastic Beach is loaded with decent electronic pop tunes and stuffed to the brim with perhaps too many guest appearances (Snoop Dogg, Mark E. Smith, Lou Reed, De La Soul, Gruff Rhys to name but a few). Still, that's a small complaint when the songs are so good. The Albarn fronted ones are probably my favourite, particularly On Melancholy Hill and Rhinestone Eyes. Elsewhere, Superfast Jellyfish (feat. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul) is incredibly catchy, Glitter Freeze (feat. Mark E Smith) as a nasty funk edge to it, Stylo was a low key, but grower of a lead off single and its nice to see Mick Jones and Paul Simonon team up on the title cut. It does not have any immediate hit singles on like 'Clint Eastwood' or 'DARE', and does lose its way towards the end but is a very pleasing record none the less.




Midlake-The Courage Of Others
Midlake's third outing is an altogether darker affair than their second and breakthrough album 'The Trials Of Van Oppenheimer'. Consequently, this is a fairly dull affair with many of the tracks sounding rather samey. Opening track 'Acts of Man' and 'Rulers, Ruling All Things' stand out, and it's certainly not an offensive listen. Just not particularly inspiring.




Titus Andronicus-The Monitor
The second album from this anthemic New Jersey indie band is a soaring, epic record that purports to be a concept album about the American civil war. Not a low key release then, and indeed everything about this album is HUGE, sounding like the work of an enormous stadium band (Springsteen references are in check on several of the songs, and the band sound like a modern E-Street Band). Galloping drums and soaring guitar riffs galore each and every track aspires to greatness, and overall the album is very consistent. Two things let it down: the lyrics and voice of the lead singer occasionally get on my wick, and the album at 65 minutes is way too long and quite an exhausting listen. Though it’s difficult to decide which tracks to cut as almost every song has a searing power that captures your attention. Long, draining, but definately one of the better albums this year.




MGMT-Congratulations
For some time now, MGMT have claimed that their new album will contain no radio hits and no singles; instead it will be a dense psychedelic work with epic freakouts. Well, for 'Congratulations', they have certainly lived up to that, but overall the album is still fairly listenable and certainly not anti-social. Think more along the lines of the second half of 'Oracular Spectacular', but more intricate and satisfying, and in the end it's a more consistent LP. Yes, it would be nice to hear more 'Kids', but these days Fleetwood Mac are praised for following the hit-laden 'Rumours' with the experimental double album 'Tusk' so we’ll give MGMT the benefit of the doubt with this. Overall its a very bright album, 'It's Working' is a fine start to the album, 'Siberian Breaks' the monstrous centrepiece is superb, while 'Brian Eno' comes the closest to having a chorus, as the band chants the name of the legendary domed producer. Repeated listens to 'Congratulations' definately reap rewards, but listening to tracks like 'Someone's Missing' and the closing title track sometimes gives the impression that they are trying to deny their obvious pop songwriting gifts. I was not expecting much from this, given the lack of hype and a disastrous performance at Bestival, but overall 'Congratulations', though destined to disappoint fans of their first album, is a pleasant surprise.




Broken Bells-Broken Bells
James Mercer from indie luvvies The Shins ("they will change your life" Garden State) teams up with Danger Mouse (operating under his real name, Brian Burton) to create a likable enough alt-pop album. There's nothing much particularly wrong with the album, just that the songs simply don't leap out at you, and the album may be pleasing enough to listen to while doing the ironing. That said, 'The High Road' and 'The Ghost Inside' are pretty decent tunes, but overall they don't match their previous collaboration on the 'Dark Night of the Soul' album.




LoneLady-Nerve Up
LoneLady aka Julie Campbell, is a Manchester based solo artist whose post punk style album seems to be anchored somewhere between PJ Harvey and Television. It's a great guitar album; all the songs have a jittery, nervous and hypnotic quality about them. Although her influences are clearly audible throughout, this still feels fresh and new; she's a new signing to Warp and is a good example of their current horizon broadening away from elusive electronica. Best tracks are the title song, Early the Haste Comes and especially Marble. The album can seem a little samey at times, but at ten tracks and 40 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome and is one of the better albums I have heard this month.




jj-jj n° 3
The mysterious Swedish act jj return less than a year after the brilliant jj n° 2 with an album that, although pleasing enough, is definately more of the same with diminishing returns. The album opens with a pseudo-cover of The Game's 'My Life', which is pleasing enough, but after their pastiche of Lil Wayne's 'Lollipops' on the last album in the form of the superb 'Ecstasy' it feels like a gimmick taken too far. Still, nothing on this very short (27 minute) album is really weak, and it makes a great, blissed out listen, though it is more autumnal and melancholic than its druggy, sun blissed predecessor. Sadly, after the out of the blue originality of jj n° 2, this outing can't help but feel slight. At least they are productive and not willing to rest on their laurels, but in the end jj n° 3 is pleasing and disappointing in equal measures.




Gonjasufi-A Sufi And A Killer
Another talented new artist from Warp, Gonjasufi is an unusual talent who seems to be deliberately trying to defy classification. Folktronia, indie, singer-songwriter, dance and experimental hip hop can all be to Sumach Ecks, the Nevada based former Yoga teacher. At times, particularly on the excellent 'She Gone' he sounds like early Captain Beefheart, posessed with a versatile voice that growls and purrs in equal measures. Other tracks, the multi part 'Sheep' and the oddly moving 'Holiday' are other highlights. The album is 19-tracks long, but never overstays its welcome, and in an era where there are so many acts who sound the same (even the better ones), Gonjasufi manages to sound utterly unique making this album well worth your while.

 The Knife (In Collaboration With Mount Sims and Planningtorock)-Tomorrow, In A Day
With this newest release from The Knife, they have teamed up with two of their electro-peers and produced the soundtrack to an opera about the life of Charles Darwin. Right. Well, anyone else this would a little odd, but that's the Knife for you. Actually, first thing that sound be said: this is not The Knife's follow-up to 2006's brilliant Silent Shout. Those albums had a kind of pop aesthetic to them; this is more of a side project. It is also a long, dense, difficult and impenetrable album, that can't even be classified as a grower; you will either love or hate it. The first ten minutes are an unsettling collage of noise effects that pretty much lay down the gauntlet for what is to follow. Those looking for another 'Heartbeats' or 'We Share Our Mothers Health' should look elsewhere, as this music should be viewed as an opera. Despite this, 'Colouring of Pigeons' is a fine song and the most electro-like thing on this dark, brooding record. Some, who give this album proper attention, will find it a challenging masterpiece, and a bold step forward from an already essential group. Others will find it unlistenable, pretentious, difficult and will rarely, if ever, return to it, and the truth is both statements would be 100% correct, depending on the listener, and I probably lean to the latter.




Jimi Hendrix-Valleys Of Neptune
Yet another 'lost album' pulled from Jimi Hendrix's considerable stash of unreleased material, this properties to be the final album by the original Jimi Hendrix Experience group, recorded shortly after the masterpiece Electric Ladyland. I've always been a fan of Hendrix's main three albums and have not really delved further into the unreleased records so I can't say how much of this is actually unheard due the appearances of Stone Free, Red House and Fire, as well as elements from other songs (Voodoo Child) but the album as a whole is a worthy enough reminder to his talent. The title track is probably the best thing on here, as good as anything on his main albums and the (instrumental) cover of 'Sunshine of Your Love' is also very pleasing. Of course, this album is really for people already won over by Hendrix, so if you aren't already familiar with his work than you should be!




Sambassadeur-European
Yet another sunny, Swedish off-kilter indie pop act here for your attention. With their third album 'European' Sambassadeur have created a warm, elegant and sunny (almost every album this month is sunny in some way!) record. Opening track and single 'Stranded', 'Albatross' and the beautiful 'Forward is all' are all highlights. There's nothing especially revolutionary here, but it’s a nice enough background listen.




Goldfrapp-Head First
With Goldfrapp's fifth album, the group appears to be resting on its laurels a little. With 2008's underrated 'Seventh Tree' they stepped back from the electro pop scene they helped to predict, and released a quiet, understated album. Head First is a return to their dancefloor roots, and unfortunately finds them as followers instead of leaders. True, 'Black Cherry' and 'Supernature' treaded these waters, but at the time they felt like a breath of fresh air, and contained moodier pieces that set them apart, the likes of which are absent here. Lead single 'Rocket' is an enjoyable launchpad for the album and 'Alive' and 'I Wanna Life' are delightful slices of electro pop, but the main feeling of the record is that it’s very slight and a little bit knockoff. It's good fun to be sure, but in the current climate of 80's influenced acts 'Head First', as entertaining as it is, cannot help but feel somewhat un-original.




Fang Island-Fang Island (Dig)
This is a delightfully exuberant album, largely instrumental and seems to fit into the growing category of sun drenched American bands now known as 'Chillwave'. Compared to Andrew WK and Surfer Blood, this is a tight, largely instrumental, consistent and enjoyable record filled with hazy and triumphant guitar solos. 'Treeton' sounds utterly anthemic but that is trumped by the stunning 'Davey Crockett' which may be the best thing here. The early on triple punch of 'Daisy', 'Life Coach' and 'Sideswiper' is also particularly good, but there really isn't a weak track on this superb album. Definately worth checking out.




Ellie Goulding-Lights
The debut album of this years 'Sound of 2010' poll winner is a notably dull affair. 'Lights' is filled with pleasant enough pop songs, none of which, including the single 'Starry Eyed' sound distinctive. It's been quite successful, but that shouldn't come as a surprise as its mediocrity is unlikely to offend anyone. Once again, this is the same as everything else at the moment and certainly won't change your life.


ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Fang Island, though Plastic Beach by the Gorillaz comes close.