Category: Uncategorized
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Martin Gore: MG
Depeche Mode fans don’t seem to like this because there are no tunes on it, but we think it’s pretty good. It’s not as good as the Portico album so if you’re a fan of electronica that’s the one to buy first, but it’s not bad, and far from being a vanity project. MG is…
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Muse: Drones
You should all know what Muse sound like; this album is more of the same but stripped down. There is Muse’s normal pomp and glamour but it sounds as if the three piece could have got somewhere close to doing this as live takes. The proclaimed theme of the album is drones, specifically the ones…
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Orphan Boy: Coastal Tones
Sometimes our favourite albums are not the most innovative, boundary-pushing or adventurous of the year but just routinely pleasant and done well. Such is the case with Orphan Boy, whose new album (their third we think) is not exactly ground breaking but is enjoyable. It’s a particularly summery album, not surprising since they hail from…
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Portico: Living Fields
Portico used to be Portico Quartet and played jazz; we’ve got their third album and it’s rather beautiful mood music that combines jazz and electronica, with a splash of world. Now they’re a trio and have not only dropped the Quartet but dropped the jazz and the world — this is pure electronica. It’s a…
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Goldstone/Clemmow:Schubert – Piano Duos Vol. 3
There’s something strangely comforting about this CD. Although it’s billed as the premier recording of two pieces of Schubert’s music, it’s obviously mainly tried and tested old music brought up to date by Anthony Goldstone, who, with Caroline Clemmow, is one of the world’s leading pianists. (There are extensive and details sleeve notes by Goldstone…
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Josh Groban: Stages
We know from visits to the States that Groban is massive over there (top-selling artist in 2007, and according to Wikipedia, 22m of his 25m sales are in his homeland). His semi-operatic / semi-pop music sells by the ton. Over here, his baritone renditions of his own and others’ tunes compete against similar known quantities…
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Paul Weller: Saturn’s Pattern
Admission time: we always thought Paul Weller’s music was a little samey. The aging Review Corner member bought the Jam’s first album and found it somewhat lacking in variation. Not being into Mod-dom probably didn’t help, but neither did all those ironed suits and scooters. As a singles band we always loved The Jam —…
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Danny and The Champions Of The World: What Kind Of Love
This is a great album, and you should go and buy it. Off you go. Danny and his boys are British but play American-style blues rock, in a life affirming, happy, cheerful way. They’re somewhere, musically and in spirit, between Bruce Springsteen (anthemic), Tom Petty (chilled), Dexy’s Midnight Runners (for the brass and Celtic soul)…
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George Enescu: Violin and Piano Works (2)
If you’re new to classical music, this is almost the definition of what you would like to expect. Lively and easy to listen to, rich and full of energy, it’s classical music without the pretension. The opening section could easily be from a modern dance tune with a big staccato intro and then some mid-tempo…
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Slug: Ripe
As soon as we heard this, we thought: Field Music. And we couldn’t have been more right. Slug is, who plays bass in Field Music’s touring band (which means we’ve seen him a couple of times). Field Music’s Brewis Bros lent Black their studio and produce/play. Fans of Field Music should buy this as it’s…
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