Author: jerobear
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Sonia Rubinsky: JS Bach, Magna Sequentia II, A Grand Suite of Dances
Rubinsky has compiled this CD so it’s not in any order Bach would have recognised. There are 17 segments in a sequence, selected by Rubinsky to make an “expanded Baroque dance suite” as the sleeve notes explain. This rather explains the album: 17 pieces of music linked in some way, mostly dances. They are selected…
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Cigarettes After Sex: Cry
Fate saved the biggest disappointment of the year for the last week of 2019 with this turgid offering. The Guardian praised it for its sonic richness, for people who prefer melody and softness to, presumably, tunes, variety and enjoyment. The band has garnered good reviews for some time so we were looking forward to this,…
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Cattle and Cane: Navigator
Some albums divide opinion among people; this one can divide opinion inside your head. On one hand they’re a young British band (brother and sister) who have produced a slick pop / soft rock album that could boost them up to stadium level — particularly in the US. Well done and good luck to them.…
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Granfalloon: RGB
Manchester band Granfalloon must think they’ve made a great album with this, and in many ways they have. It’s clever, varied and draws comparisons with people from Steve Mason to David Bowie, but just fails to hit the mark or contain one great track to draw the listener in. Opener Year Of The Rooster is…
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Membranes: What Nature Gives… Nature Takes Away
The Membranes might have been going since 1977, and been on hiatus for 30 years in the middle, but the music sounds fresh and they’ve still got things to say. They’re a combination of pop (some nice synth lines, harmonies), Goth (vocals, dark sound), prog (lots of changes) and punk (visceral). If they were lads…
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Silverlake 66: Ragged Heart
(Band photo: Jason Quigley). Once you know Silverlake 66 (Maria Francis and Jeff Overbo) are from the US and play country / folk / Americana as it should be played, you can guess the sound. They’re breaking no new ground but they do it well, simple music, plain beats and straightforward lyrics that’s in no…
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Kano: Hoodies All Summer
Kano works in the genre of grime and is well respected. We don’t live in London or have to deal with knives and murder on a daily basis so can’t really relate to the world he talks about. As he says: “And these gunshots never reach your town / It’s never on top when you…
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Ian Krouse: Armenian Requiem
This is a powerful work; perhaps too powerful for some; while it has some beautiful moments, it can also be imposing. Aficionados of choral work will undoubtedly appreciate the power and technical skill, however. It was composed to mark the centenary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, and is an ambitious sacred work built around…
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Shed 7: Going For Gold
This new greatest hits double CD gold vinyl, if that floats your boat) is out in time for Christmas, so if you’ve got a fan in the family, you’re sorted. Oddly, The Review Corner has never heard much by Shed 7 but we did briefly meet them once. (We’ve also only ever been in a…
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Jonathan Östlund: Voyages
We always thought that if the fairies — and they do exist —wanted someone to play a gig, they’d get Östlund. He writes music that’s not wishy-washy or fey (the fey being a less pleasant race than the fairies to boot) but is ethereal and creates the atmosphere of being half-formed, in the sense of…
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