Archive for review
{ May 29, 2012 @ 10:52 pm }
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{ acoustic, music, music dvd, pop, Pop Rock, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Florence and the Machine } · { }
My enjoyment of Florence + The Machine really seems to come in utter waves. I go nuts and then burn out very quickly only to want more again later on. One of the most interesting things I thought would be getting her new CD/DVD of her Unplugged session which I did for a present for a certain someone – did we enjoy?
In a word yes but I was a touch underwhelmed too.
The CD itself has 11 songs along Cosmic Love is strangely omitted from the DVD – it’s also in a different order strangely too. Florence’s vocals are spot on and the Unplugged versions in general shine but one thing specifically was lacking for some of the songs and that’s percussion. It seemed as if the more percussive the song, the less the drummer would take part which I found equal parts intriguing, alluring and disappointing at the same time. It absolutely doesn’t take any anything from the performance itself, it’s just that I found the choices to use percussion were unusual.
“Only If For A Night” is stunningly beautiful with a choir backing Florence, “Drumming Song” sounding more freeform folk without any percussion while a duet with Josh Homme on a cover called Jackson veers off into country. My personal favourite No Light, No Light is excellently done yet very rarely is there a moment of euphoria throughout the whole performance. It’s restrained. It’s pretty. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I wanted a mass of drums marching me round in circles. Instead I got semi-skimmed Machines.
{ May 28, 2012 @ 10:15 pm }
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{ acoustic, classical, music, orchestral, piano, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Tori Amos } · { }
Initially I wasn’t going to review this because readers will know that I fell in love with Night of Hunters from day one but “Sin Palabras” is an interesting take because it’s essentially the karaoke version of the album itself.
All vocals are stripped away and the arrangements are pulled to the fore. Here suddenly you can hear the stunning detail of all the strings, woodwind and piano working in perfect harmony together. Standouts are the frantic “Shattering Sea” that literally sounds like an entire orchestra is going nuts, “Fearlessness” literally playing like endless waves that wash you away and the jaw dropping “Star Whisperer” which still spell binds me now. Even the slower tracks still are beautiful and the piano carries the main vocal lines so you can still feel the entire melody anyway.
It has in fact given me and utterly new appreciation for the original album – plus some excellent string arrangements to sing over the top of. What is there not to love?
{ May 28, 2012 @ 10:00 pm }
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{ acoustic, alternative, guitar, indie, music, review, rock, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Carina Round } · { }
Carina Round has certainly been around for a few years but I’ve only discovered her in the last 18 months at best. Her latest album is nearing completion so I think it’s high time we gave her some love here at Higher Plain Games and told you all to buy her most recent EP “Things You Should Know”.
Opener “Backseat” is stunningly beautiful working from a simple ditty on a keyboard to slowly swell up with strings, brass and a chorus of vocals singing over and over the same two lines as is bursts into a fanfare. It feels like you’ve burst into a new life. In contrast the sultry “Please Don’t Stop” feeds off sparse guitar arrangements and strong vocal performances as the song ebbs and flows in places that song’s aren’t traditionally supposed to. The result is something fresh and effecting as it evolves and builds into a rocking finale.
“Thief in the Sky” is another excellent track which is acoustic guitar led but gets leg slapping angsty for the choruses. It leads perfectly into the epic “Do You” which is predominantly a guitar/vocal track that is hypnotic and enticing because the vocals are so hushed and the guitar melodic you don’t expect it when Carina suddenly bursts into frenzies at certain points in the track. The closer is the title track and it is wonderfully understated with its marching percussive edges muted behind the collage of guitars and vocals.
Carina Round shows that while she can easily rock it out with massive riffs, she can equally match them with some of the most smoulderingly beautiful melancholic quiet rock too. One of the best EP’s in recent years.
{ April 29, 2012 @ 1:54 pm }
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{ alternative, Electro Indie, indie, music, review, singer songwriter, trip hop }
{ Tags: Lauren Edman } · { }
Lauren Edman released her debut album “It’s Always the Quiet Ones” earlier this year and after dipping into a couple of genres alongside other artists and bands, it’s nice to see what standalone Lauren can do.
Opener “Wasting” is a nice juxtaposition of serenading wispy vocals alongside a gritty bassline. The track doesn’t go for the jugular, instead it chips away at making an atmospheric haze, much like a reminiscence of drama gone past. I love the vocal montages that appear here and also in “Slate” which brings Lauren’s soft vocals to the fore while swirling piano echoes and percussion is faded to the very background to create a dreamlike soundscape. The result is hypnotic and heady. “Change” then rolls back to electronic pads and a more dramatic tom heavy drum loop. Even in these more dramatic tracks Lauren’s vocals remain like a siren – warm, soaring, delicate and enticing. “Be The Light” is the first track that breaks that mould as Lauren lets her reins go in the choruses in a beautiful song full of lots of interesting quirky electronic keyboard effects.
“Sweet Girl” reminds me strangely of Soft Cell due to the metallic pulsating rhythms that the song exudes. It’s the closest the album gets to a straight forward single with simple chord structures and an immediacy to the track as a whole. “Red Wings” is a softer ballad full of lush vocals.
“Desperate Times” sounds almost like a musical with its chord structure on the piano and along with “Silent” form a more olden edge to the album. The latter specifically has the piano and banjo have a certain filter on them to sound almost honkytonk ! “This Is It” gives us the first acoustic guitar lead track on the album with an excellent use of the banjo to act out the lead melody. I really connected with this track and Lauren’s vocals hit the spot perfectly. The closing track “She’s Not Here” is a beautifully broken down track with sparse piano for verses slowly thawing into fluid melodies and vocal collectives for the choruses.
Lauren Edman’s début is beautiful from start to finish. It’s one of those albums that you’ll listen to the first time and it may not grab you immediately but then that is where the album title comes in. The album is quiet and sparse. It will chip away at you and suddenly you’ll have favourites on repeat without really noticing or picking up some of the expertly penned lyrics. Then you’ll realise that is was the quiet ones that got you all along.
{ April 12, 2012 @ 9:48 pm }
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{ alternative, concert, indie, live music, music, music dvd, piano, piano pop, piano rock, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Charlotte Martin } · { }
Winning our album of the year in 2011 with the devastatingly awesome “Dancing on Needles”, Charlotte Martin returns with “Hidden Places”, an EP/Live Concert hybrid that’s sure to excite fans.
The live concert is superb and although it only clocks in at just over an hour, showcases a lot of songs from last years album and a few others in piano/vocal fashion. Each song translates effortlessly across and sounds fresh and new. In particular Animal, Dancing on Needles, Truth Cerium and The Dance show such raw emotion, power and range you are frequently blown away. What is apparent however is that the concert is filmed from two static cameras and while there’s good production values to try to keep things from looking very static, the camera work doesn’t quite do the concert justice. Interspersing the songs are little clips of Martin chatting away about her music, her ordeals and her inspirations which is great to see.
The CD accompanying the concert has eight tracks. Three of which are acoustic versions of previously released tracks. “The Dance” and “Stromata” are massively powerful and sound brand new. “Animal” actually feels more fragile when stripped back and feels newer and sadder than before – something I didn’t feel would be possible! Of the new tracks “Mission Control” feels like a natural progression from her more recent work, once again veering towards the more electronic edges of her world with catchy choruses and sweeping electronic workings. “Tough” is delicately beautiful and feels like a lost song from aeons back as does “The Last Song” are they both feature some beautiful piano work and have that whimsical reflective sway to them. “In a World” features some big tom drums to up the ante which pound out hard towards the end of the song which feels like Charlotte Martin’s ode to Lion King in some ways. “Warrior” closes the EP in typically disarming fashion with some light pads and strings supporting a fragile song in which the vocals absolutely win you over from start to finish.
As always with Charlotte Martin, you know you are getting something special. While the bonus tracks are great to have and should find their home in any fans collection, the concert shows a truly magical live performer in her element, that even a budget recording cannot blemish it.
{ April 11, 2012 @ 11:33 pm }
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{ abstract, alternative, ambient, guitar, review, rock, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Marcus Singletary } · { }
One of my most pleasant surprises of 2011 was reviewing Marcus Singletary’s album Smokin’ which came at me entirely unannounced and with aplomb. Back this year with new album “Holy Guitar” can he repeat the feat?
Not one to do things by halves, the opening track “Occupy” is just a mere seventeen minutes long and opens with a strange background car journey which bases the entire track’s background. It cleverly runs adverts done by an offbeat robot host and has ambience as you pop out of the car. It seems to bounce around between genres when the music is playing, although regardless of it being lounge jazz or grungy trance, Marcus is usually at the helm displaying his excellent guitar talent which is obviously the main draw for the track. It doesn’t seem to follow a specific route or pattern and waiting for eight minutes of ambience and fake commercials is bold, but certainly not for everyone.
“The Pennsylvania Pull” is a kooky waltz that sounds like it’s been lifted from an old 1920′s film soundtrack. It’s delightfully playful and well structured – a complete swing from what we had previously. There’s some excellent brass work here too. It fades into “Highway Patrol” which veers off into some minimal electronica that just forms a background for a five-minute guitar solo. We then veer suddenly back to the cute and quaint jazz in “Chicago Stomp” which works well as it just feels like a great jamming session. “Friends” continues the theme and also some of the albums interesting reverb settings, almost like it’s been recorded live in a large hall – like a bootleg. “Echo Park” sits somewhere between the lot of it with some well picked guitar strings over some nice beats.
“Boys of Summer” is essentially the three minutes that a rock gig ends and the guitarist goes nuts as they smash-up their gear. It’s utterly freeform and completely Marmite. “Ensign Parker” seems to follow the same pattern but is a bit more structured before “Move” seems to want to be some kind of sexy chill out bar background music. It’s definitely the most sensual the album has to offer before “Man of Steal” closes the album with a drum/electric guitar solo freak out.
After the album had finished, I really didn’t quite know what to think. It’s an album that veers off so deep into the experimental genre, to try to tell people you’ll like it or hate is almost impossible. For me personally, a lot of it left me cold as it just sounds structureless and while that may be the point – one man just doing his thang – I couldn’t connect with it at all aside from two of the tracks. Guitar purists may find a lot to unravel here but as an outsider looking in – I was flummoxed.
{ April 11, 2012 @ 10:32 pm }
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{ composer, game music, music, orchestral, review, world music }
{ Tags: Austin Wintory } · { }
Having already raved about the game, the soundtrack is equally fantastic. Austin Wintory’s exquisite soundtrack is a wonderful collection of strings, Eastern wind instruments and some wonderfully emotive motifs. The 18 tracks give you an hour of audio heaven and a sense of a Journey in itself.
The soundtrack, as most game soundtracks do, runs the game from start to finish. “Nascence” is the main theme from the XMB menu with its beautifully haunting string arrangement before “The Call” enacts the ensemble starting to rumble forward for the Journey itself. Various motif’s that occur throughout appear here and are then stamped upon with “First Confluence” and “Second Confluence” as the music meanders and envelopes you before “Threshold” jigs things up with a more pacey number. “Third Confluence” builds on previous tracks before the dramatic “The Road of Trials” sets you off with a bump and progressively builds and adds lots of percussive orchestration. It’s difficult to describe but it’s very symphonic and yet it still always feels intimate and personal. The line between the two is walked perfectly.
“Fourth Confluence” then takes things into a darker and subdued level as we go underground which is built on with excellent use of harp in “Temptations” and lots of atmospheric electronic flourishes and glass warping on “Descent”. There’s a seldom used tom drum that rumbles throughout and the mood by now has shifted to dangerous and unnerving.
After a dramatic flourish the music shifts to a more Eastern vibe which carries on into “Atonement” where things start to get epic where some wonderfully tuned bells, thick string arrangements and sturdy drums wash over some delicate strumming of an ancient guitar which I can’t quite place. It sounds like a Raun but I’m not sure. The end result is one absolutely beautiful piece and worth the admission price alone. It rolls easily into the ambience of “Final Confluence” which blossoms into an adorable and emotive climactic version of the main motif – like a culmination of all we’ve listened to so far.
“The Crossing” is almost like a breaking down of what we’ve built up to as different instruments seem to spiral off and fall out of earshot before the slow and cautious “Reclamation” with its extra high-pitched string arrangement that is slightly discordant floats by. “Nadir” certainly doesn’t float by, it is a dramatic burst of tense strings unlike anything else on the soundtrack – like a last-minute gasp for fresh air or a ledge to cling to.
“Apotheosis” comes across as the ultimate culmination of everything we’ve listened to. From its huge tom drums, soaring string sections, dramatic scope and the way the returning motif’s just drip atmosphere, emotion and a certain rebirth depth. The whole soundtrack has a sympathetic higher string note going on that utterly defeats me and nowhere is it more prominent than here. Memorizing. The album closes with a beautiful vocal track “I Was Born for This” with vocals from Lisbeth Scott which reminds me of a more Westernised Lisa Gerrard with her non-English words. It’s perfectly pitched to bring you to tears.
Austin Wintory has made one of the most definitive game soundtracks of all time. As with the game, I simply cannot put it into words how beautifully sculptured this soundtrack is. I’m positive that having played the game several times over, I have a large bias steer because I’m already emotionally attached to the music but simply but, without the music Journey as a game would not have nearly impacted as much on me as it did. The fact it’s just as staggering beautiful as a standalone product is testament to its nigh on perfection.
{ March 29, 2012 @ 8:42 pm }
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{ abstract, alternative, indie, music, piano, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Soap&Skin } · { }
Soap&Skin’s debut album was an absolute corker and one of my favourite album obscura’s as I like to call them. Returning with an eight track album entitled “Narrow”, Anja’s music still holds the same scary drama as before but is fuller than before.
“Vater” the opener starts of as a simple, by Soap&Skin’s standards piano and vocal track that then flips into some angry and harsh electronic percussive explosion towards the end. The track, as the rest of the album feels like, is almost so lethargic and deconstucted, everything feels like it’s beautifully falling apart. “Voyage Voyage” has some beautiful string arrangements while Anja’s vocal’s lament over lots of minor chords. Again, darkly intimate.
“Deathmental” is like a sibling to DDMMYYY and the wholly electronic side of Anja’s music with beeps, beats and lots of chewed up vocals being spat out like an angry elf on a rampage. “Cradlesong” is the quiet track that along with “Wonder” feel like they belong side by side. The latter is especially emotive with its softly hushed vocal layering over rolling arpeggios and underplayed bass piano notes. It’s perfectly pitched to make you feel melancholic and introspective.
“Lost” is a very short track which to me feels strangely like a hymn or a Anja’s Christmas Carol! “Boat Turns Towards the Port” takes some of the electronica side and merges it fully for the first time really into a usual song structure instead of making it a stand alone set piece. The result is a powerful song that showcases everything Soap&Skin stands for with aplomb. The closer “Big Hand Nails Down” is a darker tone than the previous entry but seems to be setting us up for where Anja is heading with the merging of the two sounds – reminding me of a more dramatic and aggressive Zola Jesus.
Narrow is a fantastic album. If I had to complain, it’s too short – but that’s a testament to how fantastic the material is and how much I’m left yearning for more.
{ March 26, 2012 @ 11:23 pm }
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{ electro pop, electro rock, electronica, Euro Pop, j-pop, live music, music, music dvd, review, Vocaloid }
{ Tags: Miku Hatsune } · { }
Sometimes it’s hard to escape something when it grips hold of you and that’s something I got this year when I bought a PSP and imported Project Diva. Suddenly I was in Vocaloid world and quickly imported the live DVD stunned that such a thing even existed for a holographic pop star!
39 gives you two concerts around 100 minutes in length each and both have some cross overs in the set lists but both concerts have their own twists. Tokyo crams 39 tracks into its set with some serious medley mixes going on where the songs are not played in full and they bounce at speed from one to another. Sapporo goes for 27 full tracks instead and to me feels a bit more cohesive as I’m not a mega mix fan. The holograms which include Miku, Lin, Len and Luka all play their parts, performing routines that are well designed while a full live rock band play live instruments to accompany them. The result is a strange merger of real and trickery that is so infectious.
The most infectious though are the tracks. Ievan Polkka is insane, Melt is rock pop tastic, PoPiPo is a Eurovision winner in waiting, Yellow is simply divine dance pop, while Two Breaths Walking is head banging frantic. She caters for all and the songs just stay in your head for days on end!
The concert is fantastic, the audience are all cheering, singing in the gaps, waving their glow in the dark celery sticks to the beat – it really is an overwhelmingly positive experience. If you enjoy unabashedly excitable music. This is the place to begin.
{ March 21, 2012 @ 10:52 pm }
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{ j-pop, music, pop, Pop Rock, review }
{ Tags: Ayumi Hamasaki } · { }
Ayumi Hamasaki last year had a quiet year – just the one mini album! However, has the Queen of J-Pop spread herself too thin again?
“Progress” opens with a sweet piano intro which slowly builds upon the vocals with strings before the track explodes into a dramatic stadium rock track. The transitions are great as it really takes the title of the track and squeezes lots of progressive transitions into five minutes. It’s a catchy melody too!
“ANother Song feat Urata Naoya” see’s Ayu turn to R’n'B beats and smooth vocals and Urata’s vocal’s suit Ayu’s and they mingle around each other’s range very well. It’s a light and breezy track and is very pretty to the ear. “Why… feat Juno” again see’s Ayu collaborating with another grande pop rock track. It sounds like a lost track from My Story with its huge drums and power chords.
“Beloved” to me sounds suspiciously Christmas tinged and has all the hallmarks of an Ayu power ballad but as it fails to stand out from many of her others, I was left a bit indifferent to it. I will say the bonus track which showcases the Orchestral version is ten times better. The closing track of the mini album is “Brillante” which is massively epic with some excellent string work, epic male choirs and catchy melodies. It’s unique to her current collection and shows there’s still plenty of exploration for her to yield yet.
Five is a mini album of varying fortunes. It’s great to see Ayumi duetting with other artists as they add flair and new paths to her work. When she returns to what she does best though, things sound tired and resown. If anything, it shows how on autopilot, Hamasaki can still make mean pop songs but what this needs to now do is give us something new for the new album that came out this month.
{ March 16, 2012 @ 8:59 pm }
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{ alternative, music, review, rock, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Ian Narcisi } · { }
Ian Narcisi whom we featured last month, released a 3 track EP back in 2010 and while he works on his first full release we felt it was time to shout about this little nugget of goodness.
“Absent Today” is a wonderful kaleidoscope of keyboards, guitar harmonics and smooth vocal montages. Far more than your average performer, Ian seems to be able to pick up any instrument and rock it with some great synth brass floating around the speakers to make things stand out.
“Five Below Nothing” opens with a grande piano solo which then gives way to some of the strangest time signatures I’ve witnessed in a rock song in ages. It takes a few listens to really get the extra funky verses that free flow beats all over the shot. It’s one of Ian’s best features – being able to showcase the unusual in a usual light.
The closing track “Behind the Dawn” is the most straight forward track, a dark and damp rock anthem with lots of ethnic twists on the guitar. Ian’s vocals burst into a more angry void from the more hypnotic tones of the earlier tracks and here things are more visceral.
It’s a wonderful introduction to some stunning musicianship and Ian’s handle of instrumentation is of the highest calibre. If you want to be impressed by a new rock artist – Ian’s your man.
{ February 28, 2012 @ 10:29 pm }
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{ alternative, electro pop, electro rock, goth, indie, music, pop, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Lila Rose } · { }
Lila Rose’s new album “Heart Machine” is a wonderful work of art. Genre bending to the point where it becomes a new genre in itself, I could brand it Alt-Pop but it wouldn’t do the album justice.
“Obsession”, the album opener is a slow burning waltz full of layered vocals, swirling keyboards and clunky percussion. The result is something slightly off kilter yet haunting and intriguing to make you sway like the undead. The title track Ft Lynx then veers off to something like a more angrier My Brightest Diamond track with growling bass and guitars simmering away under lots of vocal technical trickery and rumbling drum beats. There’s something very lethargic about the production too where everything feels like it’s about to give up and break down and it gives the whole sound a certain charm.
“Like Champagne” then rolls over to a pop route with sexy beats, straight forward riffs and a collection of vocal bending antics to keep you amused. It reminds me a bit of Nelly Furtado. “Casting Shadows” with Eric Denniston then jumps to Bat For Lashes with some fantastic vocal work and some of the best creepy chorus lines I’ve heard in a while. Every nail is hit square on the head. Perfect.
“Lost Your Senses” takes all broken bones of the first four tracks and turns it into something almost dance worthy with a track the straddles a perfect balance between catchy and arty. It’s not something you’ll have in a club by far, but it’ll stick in your head to jig to all day long. “Unbroken” is dark but sweet ballad which has a wonderful middle section which is effectively a vocal solo where Lila’s wonderful voice soars and bellows in epic beauty.
“Give You My All” is pretty much the first time a guitar is heard clearly in this quiet track which slowly stumbles musically while Lila speed sings over the top. It’s a nice breather before the dark gets bloody in “Get Gone Again” which some fantastic chord changes a vocal flick that reminds me of the Cranberries. It’s just wonderfully realised – as the album is throughout. “Bang Bang” is another track that isn’t afraid of going all out with some great percussive work to work the titles theme. It’s a track that stands out on first listen for one reason but stays with you because it grows on you insanely quickly.
“In the Dimmest” brings all the electronics to the fore in what is a relatively low-fi and smooth track in comparison to the rest of the album but it is very catchy and immediately accessible. “Couldn’t Have” is the most upbeat track on the album with a great bass line and a swinging beat as the piano flies around the place. The album closes with the equally magical “And the Beat” in typically dark industrious fashion with quirky vocal delivery, euphoric bridges and hauntingly alluring riffs that pulsate in your mind long after the track ends.
Heart Machine is a stunning album. It holds a dark industrial atmosphere that encompasses everything shown on the front cover. It’s the perfect marriage between technical wizardry and really dark thoughts. It’s easily the most impressive album I’ve heard from a new singer/songwriter in 2012 to date and firmly sits in the middle of fight for our 2012 Album of the Year Podium. This is an album that fans of the thinking mans pop can not afford to miss.
{ February 28, 2012 @ 9:16 pm }
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{ alternative, indie, music, piano pop, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Gregory Douglass } · { }
Some artists do enjoy going back to their older songs and revisit them, tweak and sometimes improve them for a new pair of shoes to be walked in. Gregory Douglass has recently done that with eight of his tracks for Retro Active 3.
“Time” is a Gregory classic and is reworked into a more ethereal version tuning from an anthemic track to one that is still catchy but one that’s more layered and without drums it still has a real push behind it. “Innocence” sounds even darker than before with some great new electronica workings. “American City”, a very early track is given the Lucid treatment full of smooth, warm keyboard expertise. “North Star” is given the piano/cello stripped down edge and is every bit as dramatic as the original.
“Hard” is too given a Lucid feel with lots of glistening keyboard twinkles and bells while “Rotunda” is taken from a rocking growling menace and something that sounds like Soft Cell could have written in their Last Days in Sodom era – spooky and gritty. “Slipping” and ”"Hang Around” turns the fantastically catchy originals into a heart wrenching piano/cello/vocal ensemble which packs a real punch and closes the collection perfectly.
Gregory Douglass manages to keep the spirit of the originals whilst moving their goalposts and this will be a must have for all fans.
{ February 27, 2012 @ 10:46 pm }
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{ acoustic, celtic, folk, live music, music, review, singer songwriter, world music }
{ Tags: Loreena Mckennitt } · { }
Loreena McKennit is one of those artists who are utterly timeless and as her latest album appears, once again its Live CD on 9 tracks taken from a radio show performance in Germany. The difference is this time its just Loreena and Brian Hughes on guitars and Caroline Levelle on Cello. Brian and Caroline dabble in other instruments too. This gives you some lovely more stripped down versions but they are in truth, very similar to the originals.
“Bonny Portmore” is as beautiful as ever while”Down By the Sally Gardens” is timeless. “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” is more powerful with its more sharper tones whereas “Between the Shadows” sounds even more alluring with its wonderful harp and cello interplay. “The Lady of Shallot” has never changed in its elegance while “The Stolen Child” is given an extra freshness with a more minimal approach. “Penolope’s Song” stays as haunting as ever but exacting to the original whereas “The Bonny Swans” does have a freshness without percussion before “The Parting Glass” perfectly signs off the travelling trio.
It’s a pitch perfect performance from start to finish and Loreena as ever is at the top of her game live, it’s just things are very similar to the originals if not nigh on identical and so if you’re looking for something different you’ll be disappointed.
{ February 16, 2012 @ 11:04 pm }
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{ classical, composer, game music, music, orchestral, review, VGM }
{ Tags: Grant Kirkhope } · { }
Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning has been a game on many people’s radar for a while and now its out, one thing many will agree on is that it has a good soundtrack – one that’s now being released! Grant Kirkhope has a long legacy of memorable soundtracks but in the world of orchestrated soundtracks is this one of them?
“Reckoning Main Theme” reminds me of the Medievil games music with its slightly quirky/creepy b-movie vibe to it. Jots of jingling, cymbal rolls and some wonderful orchestration that is fast, flowing and proud to be bursting onto your ear drums. Tim Burton take one. “The Age of Arcana” takes the main motifs from the theme and subdues them to a mood piece, one that is built upon with “Dead’s Dead”. ”Well of Souls” concludes the opening set.
“Troll” is the first big dramatic theme with thumping strings providing the tense beat as the brass bleeds across the speakers and some fantastic wind instruments flourish in some really complex melodies. “Dalentarth” is a tribute to the xylophone to woodwind for the main motif before “House of Ballads” provides a nice regal theme to the mix. “Warsworn” is a brass heavy fanfare. “Mines and Caves” is more a background drone and ambience piece than anything else, more akin to a haunted house feel. ”Gardens of Ysa” brings its own motif and melody which steers close to the main one but has some interesting chord choices, while “Niskaru” feels like Troll evolved.
“The Plains of Erathell” uses broad string sweeps to convey its grand scale while “Titarion” is almost claustrophobic in its production. “Scholia Arcana” returns to Danny Elfman like charms to give a quirky feel to every note and scale. “Rathir” is cinematic but too short.
It’s at this half way point that you’ll wonder where things are going. Much in the way of a film soundtrack and many of the orchestral game soundtracks, it feels like a cut-scene and battles only soundtrack and with 35 tracks, all of which using a few motifs to keep a pattern and story flowing. Its going to divide people. “Fight!” continues the Elfman charms with some real 1950′s alien horror classical music. Its one of the best tracks on the soundtrack and that’s because its given time to develop and be a full track. Instead “Adessa”, which has a lovely motif to it, is over too quickly because it doesn’t linger and manifest itself long enough.
This problem plagues the soundtrack and I have always struggled with soundtrack’s that pile in the music without giving it time to develop. Its compounded here because while the music is very cinematic, it’s not immediately accessible. “The Erathi Ruins” is one that works well because it again is given room to breathe. “Conflict” shows Kirkhope’s excellent battle music nouse once again with a track both kooky and full of tension and terror. “To War” is another good short piece as is the closing track “Tirnoch” but by the time I’d hit the end I just hadn’t connected.
There is some excellent music here buried in among a lot of short cinematic pieces and they weigh down the other pieces. I personally would have preferred more of the locale musics or even a looped version of some tracks. Here Grant Kirkhope’s music feels a little pressurised and while it does feel like a great tribute to Danny Elfman, it’s not a soundtrack I plan to return to time and time again – until I at least get to play the game and associate the music clips with something tangible. Fans only need apply.
{ February 16, 2012 @ 10:00 pm }
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{ alternative, ambient, chant, Easy Listening, indie, Meditation, music, New Age, review, world music }
{ Tags: Martyrs of Sound } · { }
Martyrs of Sound specialise in meditative music. Clean, simple, warm and full of the essence of music, Radhe’s Dream is simply a heavenly joy to close your eyes to.
Opening with “Song of the Universe” the music is dominated by the warmth of a slowly plucked 12 String Guitar with minimal keyboard swirls in the background and the occasional other acoustic instrument echoing in the background. Seamlessly flowing into “Soul’s Awakening” which adds in piano to the original track and slowly some soft vocal hums and some lovely rain stick work too. “Soul’s Emergence” continues to grow on the four chords that have been gradually weaved upon with some tuned percussion and some stereo electronica work before “Song of the Beloved” adds in some wonderful electric-acoustic guitar work over the top. The whole album carries a certain cyclic feel throughout and is absolutely hypnotic even by track four. Even though it is effectively a four chord repetition and doesn’t feel like it.
“Radhe’s Dream” starts a new phase of the album where the same chords are kept but not with the same pitch as the guitar softens and is taken up an octave before “Radhe’s Dream” itself kicks in and finally we have our first vocal lead with soft harmonised and doubled up vocal patterns. It’s about as close to a single as you can get on the album and is easy to enter into as a standalone track although the album works best played as a whole entity. The guitar work throughout is beautiful.
“Govinda’s Dream” enters a third phase of the cycle as we enter a shimmering sparkling world and the four chord pattern becomes a single droning Raj. Guitar freeflows over the top while an electric percussive beat pans beautifully from ear to ear. “Om Shanti” takes things further with a more complex arrangement merging the Asian with the blues. It’s the blues that wins out in time for “Soul’s Tantra” which starts to repeat a riff that has been present over the last few tracks but in a more subtle way while the vocals take more prominence here and in “Song of Jai”.
By this point you should be utterly relaxed as the Raj gives way to “Soul Awakening Reprise” which soon returns to the beautiful four chord structure and “Radhe’s Dream Reprise” shows that actually, the Raj and four chord structures were together all along and we just hadn’t felt them both in our presence at the same time. As if then being pulled out of the circle and being cleansed “Beautiful” then appears to close the album with all the elements that we’ve had throughout the album brought together in one beautifully heart-wrenching and ethereal track.
Martyrs of Sound have achieved a wonderful album. This is ultimate relaxation music. Enhanced with a warm bath, candles, maybe even drifting off with a loved one – I whole heartedly recommend this to anyone into acoustic relaxation music with heart and substance – not the tepid and soulless meditation music that’s all about a single phasing keyboard note. This takes you literally to a Higher Plain of Music.
{ February 16, 2012 @ 8:46 pm }
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{ alternative, band, grunge, indie, music, review, riff rock, rock }
{ Tags: Relevant Discord } · { }
Relevant Discord are a band from Oregon, USA and have released two singles to date to introduce themselves to the world – and they do so with aplomb.
“The Refrain” takes all the best things from power chord rock we grew to love in the early 2000′s, all the best parts of grunge rock vocals and then adds a background symphony of keyboards and strings and places it in the melting pot. The results are a track that’s instantly catchy, heavy, dramatic and one that also has a certain something that separates it from the usual emo-esque riff rock.
“The Days of Deferment” takes things a step further to the symphonic side while the mosh heavy main riff plays out over an audio wash of strings. It’s fantastic how the production fills every single piece of the speaker and bursts into life without it becoming overcrowded.
With their first two singles out, we are now eager to get our mits on a full length album! Relevant Discord have quickly become our power rock symphony of choice and we encourage everyone to join in on the drama.
{ February 12, 2012 @ 5:23 pm }
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{ acoustic, folk, guitar, indie, music, review, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Rachel Sermanni } · { }
Hotly tipped new artist Rachel Sermanni is starting to make waves with her new EP “Black Currents” which as any good EP should, opens windows to Rachel’s musical world.
“Breath Easy” is a delicate acoustic guitar song with washes of piano and strings that breeze in and out throughout. Rachel’s vocals are a mixture of the simple purity of Emiliana Torrini and the husky undertones of Sarah Blasko with music matching a mixture of the two as well. “The Fog” is a darker, more immediate track that has a surging power in the choruses and an eerie pulsation of the guitar in the verses. The pizzicato string arrangement is kooky and willow wisp ooh’s evoke a dream state gone wrong. It’s a fantastic track. Title track “Black Currents” mixes the previous two tracks to provide a mature sound for someone so young that ebbs and flows and waltz along effortlessly before “Song to a Fox” utilises some minimal ambience and keyboard effects to perfectly emphasis the emptiness and space between us all in a sombre closer.
Rachel Sermanni falls perfectly into the acoustic rock female movement that is already crowded – but there’s always room for more. Each song is has tenderness and a bite to it and also a layer of depth. Hopefully Rachel’s talent will shine through to plenty of new listeners and we have witnessed the birth of a great musician taking flight.
{ February 12, 2012 @ 4:21 pm }
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{ folk, music, piano rock, review, rock, singer songwriter }
{ Tags: Bic Runga } · { }
Bic Runga returned quietly with her 4th studio album “Belle” at the end of the last year which still hasn’t reached the UK shores yet but is available to get on digital download from online retailers. This time Runga is happy and it shows in a light and melodic album.
“Tiny Little Piece of my Heart” is a hark back to the 60′s with rough round the edges percussion and plinky pianos – verging on Mo-town! Paired up with lead single “Hello, Hello” which has such a joyously infectious chorus, you can feel a rush of new energy flowing over you. I enjoyed Birds, but it was a restrained and delicate for the most part. Here things are simple, straightforward and direct. Happy chords, strong vocals and little motifs hidden away to discover in background instruments. “If You Really Do” is a bass heavy track that’s had a lot of the reverb sucked out of it. Bic’s vocals here are simply delicious as the sweetest oozes through the speakers.
“The Girls Prepared for War” is very Bowie-esque with its spacey guitars and echoing vocals over a slightly psychedelic rock track. There’s some interesting chord patterns here too as guitars drone and slide from ear to ear. “Everything is Beautiful and New” follows in a similar vein with a seductive acoustic track with a mellow ambivalence to it. Almost like a laid back Trust in Me. “Good Love” is a great mixture of the previous two tracks more seductive alluring but deadly mood with the more upbeat opening trio of tracks. There’s some fun experimenting with some keyboards on this track which see’s Bic veering off to new territory too.
“Devil on Tambourine” is a fun hark back to electric guitar led 60′s psychedelic folk but it fades out before it’s really finished and deserves a bit longer on air. Equally brief is the title track “Belle” which is a harp/keyboard/vocal track in French. It’s completely different to anything else on the album but is utterly enchanting and luscious beautiful. It paves the way for more experimental “Darkness is All Around Us” which has an epic sway to it. There’s a lot of bleeding chanting la’s, phasing keyboard synths flying all over the place and a marching band track. We end up back full circle with most bluesy we’ve seen Bic with “Music and Light” with thick piano, finger clicks and hushed vocals.
“Belle” isn’t an album to break out of new traditions. It’s very much in a similar vein to Drive and Beautiful Collision but there’s a confidence, an ease and a warm familiarity to it. Warm, seductive and enchanting, Belle is a beautiful album.
{ February 7, 2012 @ 10:37 pm }
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{ beats, dance, duo, electro, electro pop, electro rock, electronica, guitar, indie, music, noise, review }
{ Tags: Stereo Alchemy } · { }
Stereo Alchemy is the product of twice Grammy winning composer Christopher Tin and Grammy nominated percussionist Kametron. God of Love is their début album together and showcases a broad spectrum of electro excellence.
“A Rapture” is a classic case in point. Starting out with ambient murmurings before breaking out into a stadium stomping wash of electronics and plush keyboard exploding seascapes. Equal parts isolating and warming, it blasts into epic chorus moments and shows real scope. “Unbound” is more gritty and crunchy guitar lead track and the pounding percussive nature of the guitar chugs really gets your pulse racing.
“God of Love” is the title track and where the concept of the album really fleshes out before your ears. Each song relates to a poem about Love or Death and they very much become characters during the album itself. The title track is simply mesmerizing. It’s a track that seems to spread far beyond the depths of the speakers the music blasts from and the drums and the vocals play together beautifully.
“She Walks in Beauty” is one of the more straight-laced tracks with some insanely catchy electronic work and sublime vocal work from a soulful male lead. It feels retrotastic in many ways yet it’s got a new pair of sneakers and is enjoying the ride. “Is It Possible” reminds me of Savage Garden – some of the best pop of the late 90′s – with extra funk! The percussion and beats in this track are unreal Kametron is definitely pressing hundreds of buttons a minute here and the ending minute is euphoria in a riff.
“Monster of the Sky” veers right across the edgy darkness that inhabited underground electronica in the 90s and reminds me of a crystal clean version of the band Curve. The chorus is rip-roaring and the guitar / bass lines added to reverbing vocals and nutty drum loops make everything tingle and explode like lit touch-paper.
“To Eternity” is a great hybrid of absolutely everything the album does wrapped up in one track. Starting out as a beautifully angelic number it slowly evolves into a riff rock disco track. In one way it’s got all the excellence that was the over produced 80′s way of musical life but the difference is Tin has managed to work everything into having its own space. Outstanding. ”My Hearts Fit to Break” is a more melodic track with lots of shimmering grit and glitz over fragile vocal delivery. The vocal performances of Melissa R Kaplan, Mozez and Lia Rose are spot on throughout and should be commended.
“Young Lovers” is so 1990 it is impossible to not smile and dance away to. Infectiously happy, delirious with its power chords and pumping beats – perfect for a sunny drive with the top down. “Love is Love” closes the album with a minimalistic chord swirl ballad that is both enlightening and understated in its beauty. The lyrics shine here, as they do throughout.
Stereo Alchemy have blown me away. The sheer complexity of some of the tracks is mind-boggling from the percussion to the little nuances and frequency changes in all the instruments as they go. It’s these things that elevate a good album to a truly great one. Quite frankly, God of Love is one long eargasm from start to finish and is firmly the first contender for album of the year on this site.
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