Last Tourist – Last Tourist

I’ve been a fan of Leeds dark gaze band Last Tourist since the release of their 2020 single “Public Service / Are We Just Algorithms?” In my review, which you can read here, I mentioned their influences were bands like Joy Division, Interpol, Suicide, Diiv and The Jesus & Mary Chain. I also made mention that their sound was a heady concoction.  That heady concoction has been brewing and their self-titled debut album is the result.

Since that singles release the bands, line up has evolved somewhat. Last Tourist feature John Wellby (guitar, vocals), Nick Noble (guitar, vocals), Adam Simpson (synth and programming), and Jason Booth (bass guitar, bass synth), with the album also featuring guest appearances from Whimsical’s Krissy Vanderwoude (vocals) and Slowdive’s Simon Scott (drums).

My excitement levels are piqued so let’s dive in.

The album opens on the soaring ‘Riding Seas’. The pulsing bass, like the song’s heartbeat, gives life to the glorious wash of guitars and synths. The band set their stall out early on, this is going to be quite a ride.

I’m into familiar territory next with the single ‘Public Service. When I covered this song previously, I said “Public Service” is a darkly glorious synthwave meets shoegaze blend. Shimmering synths fight with 10-foot-tall guitars for your attention. Powerful bass lines, entwined with moody vocals and rhythmic danceable drums complete this heady concoction.” I stand by that. What a track.

It’s another single next. ‘Cave in the Hills’. I liken the experience of listening to this song like watching a polaroid develop. The bare bones of the song are there at the start and as it develops more and more detail emerges until it presents itself in glorious technicolour.

‘Lust’ is a different proposition altogether. It arrives fully formed and assaults your senses. Darkly brooding chords play over sweeping synths and intricate drums. It’s sensory overload from the get go and you just lose yourself, surrendering to the experience. I particularly love the guitars on this one, always on the edge of feedback, just in control and no more. My kinda playing.

The pace drops for the melancholia swathed ‘Falling Into (Drone)’. The descending chords lock us into a sombre frame of mind. The opening section of the song would’ve sat happily on Disintegration by The Cure. Is there a higher compliment? It feels like we’re on a journey and like all journeys the end comes all too soon.

Next up we have the instant classic ‘Black Raven’. This song combines the pop sensibilities of Phil Spector with the soundscapes of Slowdive and Ride. The chorus has more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle box. When Wellby sings “Can’t resist always lost in my head” I defy you not to sing along.

My album highlight follows in ‘Fake Lust’. There’s something about the woozy guitar and measured vocal that really speaks to me. The intro is nothing short of epic with the band leaping in together. The chorus has some parallels with Joy Division however I will qualify that. Whilst I can hear that Ian Curtis influence, this is all Last Tourist. The elation in the chorus sets it apart, above and beyond to my ears.

There’s a short mood piece next in ‘Interval’. A tone poem to cleanse the palate as we head into ‘Lemon Twist’.

Vocals emerge through an incredibly dense and textured soundscape. With a knowing wink to The Mary Chain we are implored to “Kiss Kiss Lemon Twist”. What really impresses me about the production on this album is the space given to each instrument. Make no mistake there is a lot going on, but there’s a real clarity to every bass not and snare crack. Each guitar and synth note has its spot on the soundstage. This song absolutely exemplifies that.

We receive some soul nourishment next with the uplifting ‘Spiritual Cove’. If the brothers Reid ever dropped the wall of noise, they’d do well to cover this track. Wellby’s laid back drawl drapes itself all over the swathes of beauty conjured by the guitars and synths. The ever-increasing intensity of the fuzzed guitar adding a new and welcome texture. This is one beautiful song.

The album closes out on ‘Slow Moving Traffic’ another mood piece that blends synth swells creating a farewell to the listener. A really satisfying closer.

Last Tourist have laboured long and hard on this debut album. That is apparent in the quality of the tracks laid before us. More than that though. There is a soul on display here, a beating heart that reaches out from every song to bring you close. To share its story with you, share an embrace and then release you to the world. Better for having listened, experienced.

Last Tourist is out now with vinyl variants available for preorder from Bandcamp.

You can follow Last Tourist on social media here…

Under The Sun – Ocean Breeze

Matt Catling returns in his Under the Sun moniker with another slice of truly unique experimental shoegaze. We were all blown away by his 2022 album Dream which came out on Shore Dive Records, a sure fire indicator of quality for me. Ocean Breeze is a collection of three tracks where Catling gets to fire our imaginations and excite us with where he’s going next musically.

So, what was like recording this single as compared to the experience of recording Dream. Catling had this to say.

“Ocean Breeze took four months to make and was mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott for which I’m extremely happy. Mostly it was improved writing whilst doing the vocals for the first time. As for instruments, I used Jazzmaster/Jaguar guitars and for the track Soft Focus I used the Catalinbread soft focus pedal.”

That said let’s dive in.

Ocean Breeze opens with the title track. It’s an experimental piece with an atmospheric soundscape being formed by the wash of guitars. On top there is a repeating synth sting, almost like an alarm pulsing away whilst a distorted, stretched and warped spoken word piece echoes. This is so effective. It’s like the words are being kept hidden, just out our reach but tantalisingly close.

‘Whirlwind’ features a glorious wall of reverse guitar pushed to breaking point through a wall of fuzz. Whilst this isn’t a new track it has been given new depth and energy with the injection of dreamy vocals and trippy guitar layers. This is such a soothing piece. Almost hypnotising.

We close the single on my favourite song, ‘Soft Focus’. It has elements that would sit well on a Lovesliescrushing album. That distant vocal, the buried drums, the steady and insistent attack of the guitars. The second half gains a new clarity with bass tone picking out the songs structure and lifting it deeper into your consciousness.

If you like your shoegaze on the ambient side with heaps of character and inventiveness then Under The Sun have you covered. Ocean Breeze is a beautiful collection of tone poems, experimental gaze and is guaranteed to warm your winter evenings.

Ocean Breeze is out now via Shore Dive Records, on digital formats and a now sold-out limited-edition CD.

You can follow Under The Sun on social media here…

Molly – Picturesque

 It only feels right that my first blog of 2023 is a release from my one of my all-time favourite labels Sonic Cathedral. Back in 2019 they introduced us to Innsbruck based Austrian duo MOLLY. Lars Andersson and Phillip Dornauer created a stunning debut in All That Ever Could Have Been. That album soundtracked a large part of 2019 for me and remains a turntable favourite to this day. Now they have returned with their sophomore release, Picturesque. This time around the band is focusing their sound across six tracks. The great news for the listener is that some of these tracks are sprawling epics to get swept away by. As a fan of post rock that fills me with excitement.

Andersson, when asked about the themes he wrote about on the album had this to say.

“Every time I go to a museum and I’m about to pass through the era of Romanticism I stop in awe,” says Lars of the enduring appeal of the 18th century artistic movement. “Whatever it is – stories, paintings, music – it triggers something deep within me, something profoundly human. It really hits a nerve, and it utterly immerses me to a point where I can’t move.”

“The album replicates this feeling; a gloriously over-the-top blend of Slowdive and Sigur Rós, mixed with the single-mindedness of Daniel Johnston and the noisiness of Nirvana, it’s as bold and beautiful and every bit as ornate as the art that inspired it.”

So, with those words ringing in our ears let’s drop the needle and get in amongst it.

The album opens strong with soaring ballad ‘Ballerina’. Immediately I’m struck by the production. It’s multi layered, dreamy swells and heavenly vocals all the way. This is the perfect introduction to the album. When the song explodes into its static laced outro with Andersson’s falsetto feathering the peripheries of the soundstage you really sit up and take notice.

Breathless we head into track two. With ‘Metamorphosis’ we start to appreciate the scale of the bands vision for this album. What we are presented with is, essentially, a 12-minute musical suite in three distinct movements. “Picturesque, how you breathe your last breath” trills Andersson over, what sounds like, an angelic choir. This opening vocal movement is measured and sure-footed guiding us carefully towards part two. An instrumental, ambient wash forms the second movement as the song ushers the listener through a metamorphosis of our own. It’s the closing movement which gets me. Every single time it leaves me, jaw opened staring at the speakers. It gathers all the musical themes explored on the track and sends them soaring heavenwards.

The first single from the album ‘The Golden Age’ comes pulsing out the ether yet. Utilising a really unusual, almost military like drum motif it immediately stands out from the previous two tracks. There’s an other-worldliness pervading the very DNA of this song. From the wash of guitars to the frenetic spoken word vocals there’s something that carries you off to distant corners of your imagination. As always Molly are masters of the crescendo building and building the waves, momentum gathering and releasing leaving the song and the listener spent. See what I mean here.

‘Sunday Kid’ takes the pace down a notch with a more bucolic, nostalgic tone. Less a ballad and more a lullaby the soothing effect of the song is palpable. For such a simple song there are still layers of sounds at play. It’s a real skill to make such complexity so sound so straightforward on the surface. The effected vocal and organ work beautifully in combination to drive that feeling of calm and peace.

Refreshed we move into ‘So To Speak’ on an exquisite vocal intro. Andersson himself drew Sigur Ros comparisons in his description of the album. There is certainly something in his voice reminiscent of Jonsi but to say it’s that and nothing else is doing him a massive disservice. There’s a deeper timbre at play lending his voice a greater range of expression and emotion to my ear. That range is showcased throughout ‘So To Speak’. From the potent intro to the, ultimately abrupt, closing this song is a wonderful microcosm of all things Molly.

The album closes out with ‘The Lot’. I mentioned in my intro that this album contained sprawling epics. There’s no better way to introduce this incredible piece to you. It opens dark and brooding, drums pulsing in the background as guitars slowly swell into a fuzzed-out reverie. We are cloaked in this darkness for at least half the song before we emerge into this glorious, soaring moment. That falls away all too soon as we finish our musical journey on a minimalist almost exhausted guitar piece. And then, it’s over.

With Picturesque Molly have taken the soundscapes from All That Ever Could Have Been and refined, honed and evolved to a level that belies this groups tender years. The album oozes a confidence and ease of performance that lets you know that you are in safe hands. That for the next hour or so you can relax and let Molly take you on a journey into their magical world. It’s a journey I went willingly on and will go again. The production of this album hides lots of neat surprises for a vigilant listener meaning Picturesque will yield new and deeper pleasures on every listen. That, for me, is the mark of a future classic.

Picturesque is available now on Sonic Cathedral from Bandcamp and on a special Dinked vinyl edition from participating indie record stores.

You can follow Molly on social media here.

Photo’s courtesy of Niko Havnarek

Static Sounds Club Top 10 Albums of 2022

2022 has been a year of positive change and renewal for me. Musically, it’s been a year of incredible creativity out there. That’s meant that this has been the hardest list to compile ever. The sheer amount of excellent albums that have been released this year has been overwhelming. I’ve been really lucky to have reviewed some of these amazing albums this year. Select the album cover to read my review in full either here or over on the amazing DKFM Shoegaze Radio blog.

Let’s dive in and see who’s made the Top 10 this year.

10/ Fir Cone Children – Today There’s No Tomorrow

This year Alexander Donat delivered a stunning sonic experience with his album Today There’s No Tomorrow. Pacy, punchy and more punk driven than any of the Fir Cone Children releases to date, it was a triumph! From the joyous ‘Pull it Out’ to the frenetic ‘Way Up North’ it’s such a rewarding listen.

I’ve picked ‘No Mercy’ as my album highlight. Alex has a real knack for hooks and the chorus in this track is exceptional.

9/ Alvvays – Blue Rev

Blue Rev surpassed all our expectations when it dropped. Song writing was super tight and melodies and hooks were next level! Whilst I had really liked their previous two albums Blue Rev I loved. The song structures have become so beguiling and interesting that its impossible not to find yourself lost in the music. I’ve picked the album opener ‘Pharmacist’ as my album highlight. It takes a really confident band to put a song this strong up front. They have the songs to back up that decision thankfully.

8/ DEHD – Blue Skies

Any thoughts we had that Flower of Devotion couldn’t be topped melted away within minutes of dropping the needle on this one! Song after song oozing with class and confidence. My album highlight was a real no brainer for me. If I was doing single of the year “Bad Love” would be vying for that top spot! The change into the chorus makes me smile every time. What a song!

7/ Idi Et Amin – Candy Suck

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to this album now. It’s everything I love about Shoegaze. Heavy, melodic and dynamic! Quality control is high here. Track after track of gazey goodness washes over you. If ever there was an album due a vinyl press it’s this one! Please!

My album highlight is ‘More Than Much’. It’s like Billy Corgan and Kevin Shields got together and had a lovechild.

6/ Blushing – Possessions

Blushing have been favourites of mine for a good number of years now. They sit way up there on my “need to see live” list! This year they treated us to their stunning album Possessions. I think it’s telling that Miki Berenyi from Lush is involved, lending her vocals to a track! That’s how highly thought of Blushing are. It’s that very song I’ve selected as my album highlight. This band are only getting stronger with each release. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

5/ EEP – Winter Skin

When listening to EEP there is always an abundance of heart in their music. You can always make an emotional connection as they sing about topics we can all identify with. On Winter Skin they continue that trait in fine fashion. The music has evolved too. Venturing more into psychedelia and soul baring lyrics. For my album highlight I’ve selected ‘No Inbetween’ which i think captures those two aspects of their music perfectly.

4/ The Stargazer Lilies – Cosmic Tidal Wave

The Stargazer Lilies are a truly unique sounding band. They inhabit this otherworldly realm that I find myself getting lost in every time a stick one of their albums on. Cosmic Tidal Wave carries on that tradition whilst adding elements of bossa nova and trip hop. Picking my album highlight was nigh on impossible as I love every damn song on here. Here’s ‘Bending The Lines’ with its infinitely cool video.

3/ Horsegirl – Versions Of Modern Performance

Horsegirl create a noise that is completely new to your ears whilst being comfortably familiar at the same time. In Versions Of Modern Performance the band filter the influences of their collective consciousness into something quite sublime. The way they layer their vocals in particular makes the overall effect quite striking. I’ve picked ‘Billy’ as my album highlight but it easily could have been any of them.

2/ Spacemoth – No Past No Future

Part space pop, part technicolour psychedelia Maryam Qudus has crafted another world in the grooves of this record! There’s undeniable influence from Stereolab and Broadcast for sure but there’s songs in here that Beck or The Flaming Lips would kill for! There’s a real timeless quality to this album which means we’ll be listening to it for years to come! I’ve gone for ‘Pipe and Pistol’ as my album highlight. Love the video for this one!

1/ Just Mustard – Heart Under

Where to start? I’ve loved this band since their debut album Wednesday came out. I couldn’t understand how they were making the sounds they were using guitars ! I caught them live in Glasgow this year. I watched them create these sounds with my my own two eyes. I’m still none the wiser! What do they sound like? This is just one of those bands I’d say….. go listen. Make your own mind up. I’m guessing you’ll be as enthralled and as much in awe as I am. A worthy winner of my album of the year!

So there it is. My Top 10 for 2022. I’d love to hear about your top 10 for the year. Drop a comment under this blog or over on Facebook or Instagram.

To all my readers, thanks so much for all your support this year. I’m so lucky to have the best folk ever following this blog. Have a wonderful new year when it comes and here’s to a brighter 2023 for us all.

Southeast of Saturn Volume II

Back in 2020 I happened upon an amazing compilation of shoegaze and space rock featuring bands that had never been on my radar. Always on the hunt for new music I grabbed a copy on vinyl and gave it a spin. Sure, there was a couple of bands I’d heard namely the Scott Cortez projects astrobrite and lovesliescrushing.

Digging deeper there were new names and new sounds I hadn’t come across before. Bands like Majesty Crush with their woozy pop sensibilities to Windy & Carl who produce this acoustic almost ambient gaze. Everyone on the record had certainly been influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr. However, what they all did with that influence was so broad and different to each other. I just found it a thrilling listen and I’ve damn near worn my copy out. You can find out more about how that album came together in this short video.

The man behind compiling the album, Rich Hansen, has returned to the dusty record racks of Michigan state and beyond to bring us Southeast of Saturn Vol 2. So, what’s new this time around?

“The second volume expands upon the Michigan-centric aural delights purveyed on Vol. 1, by including groups from throughout the Midwest. Highlighting groups spanning Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, Vol. 2 works to cement the Midwest’s status as a breeding ground for the space-rock and shoegaze subgenres, which more famously burgeoned in the UK.”

Once again, the album is being released on the amazing Third Man Records label and they have very kindly given me a sneak peek. On my November DKFM Shoegaze Radio show I played four exclusive tracks from the album so I thought it would be cool to tell you a bit about those songs by way of an introduction to this new compilation. So, without further ado lets dive in.

Colfax Abbey – Feel

‘Feel’ is a cut from the 1996 album, Drop, from Minneapolis proto gazers Colfax Abbey. If the name is ringing bells for you, it’s because it’s from Bram Stoker’s book ‘Dracula’. Carfax Abbey was the name of Dracula’s estate in England, and the band members lived on Colfax Avenue S. in Minneapolis. This shimmering, glowing beauty of a track leads out the LP and it’s no wonder.

Fauna – To Ecstasy

‘To Ecstasy’ comes from Faunas 1992 Everafter album. It’s a sumptuous, trippy number with a flute reminiscent of early Medicine, driving the melody. The tremolo guitars are wonderfully heady in a disorienting kinda way. It’s a formula that would go on to form the blueprint for many bands in the 2000’s. These guys were there first!

Catherine – It’s No Lie

1993 saw the release of the Sleepy EP from Chicago based Catherine. Undoubtedly influenced by the amazing J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr the band evolve that sound into something more direct and on point. Coming in at just over three minutes this is one track I wanted to go on and on. The main guitar riff is incendiary!

27 Various – Turn On and On

Starting off as a sixties influenced psychedelic mod group 27 Various, also from Minneapolis, morphed into a fuzzed-out gazers delight by their fifth album. Fine, released in 1992, took that My Bloody Valentine wall of noise and added their melodic vocal harmonies. They make this relatively simple song sound a hundred feet tall.

You can listen back to my show on DKFM and hear these tracks in full.

Like I said on the show, I feel like Southeast of Saturn is our generations Nuggets or Pebbles. Both albums are rich with wee gems that it takes guys like compiler extraordinaire Rich Hansen to find and a label like Third Man Records to get out there. These four tracks are only the tip of the iceberg. The whole album is an exceptional listening experience.

Thanks so much to Rich and Dave over at Third Man Records for sharing this amazing album with me!

Southeast of Saturn Vol 2 is released on Friday December 2, and you can grab a copy from Third Man Records. If you head instore to buy in person, you’ll find some really nice colour variants.

Follow Southeast of Saturn on social media here…

Follow Third Man Records on social media here…

Fabriccio De La Mora – Entropy Death

For the second time this year I’m pinching myself as I’ve had a sneaky early listen to a new album from Par Ásito main man, Fabriccio De La Mora, Back in May, I brought you my thoughts on his debut solo album Grand Unified Theories, a stunning gallop through the galaxy. Now he’s back with Entropy Death and as you can imagine, I was dying to find out what it was all about. Here’s what he said.

“This album is an interpretation of the different stages that constitute the death of a supernova, as well as the hypothesis of the heat death of the universe. Both of these hypothesis stem from the second law of thermodynamics, which states that entropy tends to increase in an isolated system. If this system lasts enough, eventually energy would evenly dissipate, cooling it off.”

“Compared to the previous album, Entropy Death constitutes a more hardcore punk approach to kraut rock, along with a few other unorthodox rhythmic sections that give the album a singular yet original grit. Entropy Death was composed, arranged and recorded at home with the help of Gustavo Jimenez on drums and Sergio Florean on electric guitar.”

More hardcore you say!! That’s what I’m all about! Let’s get in amongst this and see what’s what!

Straight out the gate we are going harder than before. ‘Star Dust’ trades a more sedately paced lead guitar line against a fast and furious backing. As the track goes on it evolves and opens up into this luminescent arrangement so utterly engaging you just find yourself hypnotised by its groove. It’s tracks like this that De La Mora executes with consummate ease. As opening tracks go, they don’t get much better than this.

‘Gravity Bump’ bounces in next, all attitude and nervous tension. The pace isn’t letting up here as we barrel headlong into this number. The drums and bass keep us steady on course as the guitar creates a psychedelic power source to take us into orbit and beyond. This would make a brilliant theme tune for a sci-fi show!

Things get infinitely more complex and intricate on ‘Gas Giant’. The tone darkens with a looming, threatening bass playing off a stunning drum performance from Jimenez. Things boil and bubble before the band erupts into an intergalactic version of Motorhead. When De La Mora said he was going hardcore this time, he wasn’t lying.

‘Proto Star’ lightens the mood considerably with its playful time signature and electronica. The guitars sound even bigger than usual creating this soaring wall of sound. A wall of sound that only expands and grows into the second half of this number. Things get steadily more intense and frantic as our fledgling celestial body takes form. This is a really aptly named track.

We head to the opposite end of the universe to catch the final moments of the ‘Red Giant’. Things are more fuzzed out, static lined signals from the cosmos. The band lock in a tight groove and ride it out until the end. The music, like the star from the title, collapsing in on itself on the final note. A lovely attention to detail!

The album closes out on the sprawling epic that is ‘Black Dwarf’. A theoretical end of stellar evolution where a dead star no longer emits any light or heat. Our universe isn’t old enough to have created any so De La Mora is conjuring one in musical form. Things begin quietly enough, like we’re hearing the music come in on a space transmission from millions of light years away. Soon enough the bass joins the signal followed shortly after by the drums. They tear through into our reality and things get real. The closing three minutes are nothing short of epic and some of the finest space rock I’ve heard.

Once again, De La Mora has taken us out into the cosmos to discover the musical language of the universe. His passion for all things cosmic comes through in bucketloads and shines like a star through each and every track. My imagination is a much better place because of this album. Yours will be too. Just climb into the rocket and hold on tight.

Entropy Death is out Friday 2nd December. You can grab a copy on limited edition orange vinyl from Dirty Filthy Records. If you’re in or near the USA head for Echodelick Records Bandcamp page. There are only 250 copies of this one so be fast!

You can follow Fabriccio De La Mora on social media here…

Peplo – Stranger Than Her Bedfellows

I recently found myself in Glasgow on a cold Monday evening downstairs in The 13th Note. I’m a big believer in getting along to see all the bands on a bill. This night I was lucky, because first on the bill was Peplo. This Glasgow based four-piece’s sound won me over from the top of the stairs as I walked down into that basement. At the time I couldn’t have explained to you what it was in particular I liked. It was, all of it!

The band feature Cit Lennox (vocals), Iain O’Donnell (Guitar), Mark Hinds (Drums) and Danny Young (Bass). I asked Iain how Peplo formed.

“Mark Hinds, our drummer, and I met in high school and bonded over a shared love of 60s/70s music (Mark turned me on to bands like Zeppelin and The Who, while I was a real Beatles fanatic). We spent the remainder of secondary school performing in different bands and music ensembles (blues, jazz, samba). Throughout university and beyond, we played in a power trio (releasing material initially as ‘Room 039’, then latterly under the moniker ‘Fair Weather Soldiers’). When the Soldiers disbanded, I answered a Gumtree ad that was posted by a vocalist looking for musicians to form a band – Cit Lennox!”

“Cit was studying theatre at Glasgow Uni. She had performed widely in the Scottish traditional music scene, and was now wanting to set sights on something more alternative and pop. After a year Mark, Cit, and I decided to strike out on our own; we rolled the Gumtree dice one more time and won Daniel Young, our bassist! He fitted in immediately. Daniel shared similar indie sensibilities and we could finish each other’s Simpsons quotes! Daniel also finally gave Mark someone to talk to in the band about football (Cit and I prefer daft YouTube channels and scouting out brunch spots). Mark describes Peplo as “Gumtree’s biggest success”!”

To date there has been four singles released and their fifth ‘Stranger Than Her Bedfellows’ has just been let loose to the world. Before we get to that, lets explore those previous singles.

First up is ‘Tall’. A sweeping ballad which really makes full use of the incredible voice of Lennox. Couched in the reverb-soaked harmonies and chiming guitars glistening like icicles in the sun. The dynamic arrangement lifted by the always nimble and complimentary bass. It’s a very accomplished piece of song writing and one which really soars when performed live.

‘Katarina’s Got My Tongue’ had me reaching for my notes to grab the title to check out later. This one really hooked in me in with its guitars which hark back to Postcard Records, Orange Juice and Josef K. O’Donnell playing stridently and with real purpose, never afraid to sit back and let the band have their space when required. As ever, Lennox turning in an engaging and uplifting vocal. I swear you can hear her smile.

‘Just to Get to You’ came out next. The band sound increasingly more confident in their instruments and production values here. The arrangement alone with its soaring highs in the chorus to the slow burn build of the verses is really noteworthy. There’s humour in the lyrics and a gallus swagger to Lennox’s delivery. The bits where the bass and drums lift into double time are really effective too. It’s a cracker of a song which completely grips your attention from start to finish.

The QMU Session came out next with three tracks the band performed in August 2020 to support Glasgow University’s Virtual Freshers, at the Queen Margaret Union. Here you’ll find the sublime and heartfelt ‘Love is Fun’, the jaunty and bitter ‘Empty’ and nestled in between there’s an absolute gem of a song.

‘Fly With Crows’ has it all. The guitar is crazy good, picking out arpeggios up the neck one minute sweeping chords the next. Hinds creates a cracking rhythmic structure to hang the whole song on along with Youngs dancing bassline. For me this is Lennox at her finest. The sheer power of her delivery in the chorus is all conquering. It was hearing this song live that made me want to write the blog you’re reading now.

‘Goodnight Maria’ came out at the start of this year. It’s a song performed with the confidence of a band who know who they are and know how to be themselves. Just listen to how the drums call the shots on this one, pounding out the ever-changing time. This sounds like a stadium sized song, and they haven’t even released an album yet.

That brings us bang up to date with their latest release ‘Stranger Than Her Bedfellows’. This is an exotic sounding romp of a number. Heavily effected vocals on the chorus bring something new to the sonic palate as does the wailing guitar solo. Peplo are in full experimental mode and it pays off in spades. Lyrically it’s a wordy song meaning Lennox has to deliver her performance at pace. Needless to say, she rises to the occasion and knocks it out the park. Again, our rhythm section is the lynchpin to making this complex arrangement work. Drums and bass working in perfect harmony. This really bodes well for what’s next.

The band are currently recording their forthcoming LP at the world famous Chem19 Studios. No word on a release date or title as yet. Rest assured I’ll bring you a track-by-track breakdown once it’s announced.

Once in a while you hear a band that you can’t pin an influence on. A band that are doing their own thing and being themselves. Peplo are that band. You really need to catch them live. The infectious, joyous energy they create lifts you up and slaps a smile on your face. Here I am, nearly a week later and that smile hasn’t shifted. This is why I love music and finding new bands to listen to. This is why I love Peplo.

‘Stranger Than Her Bedfellows’ and all the other songs I’ve mentioned here are available now over on the Peplo Bandcamp page along with some cool tote bags and badges.

You can follow Peplo on social media here…

Waterville – Isle of Blue EP

This week my good pal Nico reached out with a link to the latest release on his brilliant Shoredive Records imprint.

Waterville describe themselves as a preapocalyptic rock band from North East Poland. That’s certainly a new one on me so I just had to investigate. The Isle of Blue EP is not this bands first release; indeed, they’ve been about the scene since 2019. The band consist of Hiacynta Szulc (vocals / violin), Marcin Adamczuk (guitar), Bartosz Niedzwiecki – (drums/ bass/ guitar/ synths) and Pawel Ambrozewicz (synths/ bass). Together they create the most wonderful dreampop and, at times, heavy gaze.

The EP opens on ‘Hazy’. A serpentine bass groove driving the dreamy vibe of the song. Szulc’s vocals punch through the mix even when the heavier guitars come in. The harmony lines are a glorious touch creating some lovely ear candy.

This leads us into the wonderfully dynamic ‘Wait & See’. The measured opening verses belying the sonic wave about to land. The guitars crash in like a sonic tsunami in the chorus. They absolutely take over and lift this song to new heights. What’s impressive though is they still aren’t so loud as to diminish the vocal. Instead, they augment it with a counter melody that serves to lift the impact of the vocal. This is a band that plays to each other’s strengths.

‘Breathing’ is a ballad in which Niedzwiecki plays one of the most beguiling drum lines I’ve heard in a while. Really tune in to what he’s playing here if you can. It’s a fascinating off beat kinda thing. As if in response Adamczuk delivers a stunning foil, picking out the spaces and filling them with his chiming, picked out guitar line. Atmospheric backing from a fuzzed-out guitar and synth lifts the lead vocal beautifully. This track is sublime and my EP highlight.

Next up is the slow building ‘War’. This is a really spacious number, with a run time of over seven minutes the band can afford to take their time to bring in all aspects of the melody. There are some really interesting effects here, a guitar that sounds like an air raid siren appears at one point. Post Rock has definitely had an influence on the creation of this one and it’s a most welcome influence at that. The band wear it well and utilise it equally so.

The EP closes with the darkly alluring ‘Under The Water’. Szulc absolutely owns the vocal on this one, really showing us what she’s capable of. In a sparse arrangement such as this there’s nowhere to hide which makes it all the more laudable that the band pulled of stellar performances, each and every one. It’s the perfect close to this emotive EP.

This collection of songs paints a picture of a band in control of their sound. They crafted these songs to live together and to be experienced in this order. You cannot help but get lost in the sonic landscape they’ve created.

The Isle of Blue EP is available now digitally and on limited edition CD from the Shoredive Records Bandcamp page.

You can follow Waterville on social media here…

WOHN – No Shelter

Ireland is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in its music scene. Particularly in the alt rock scene. The latest band to come to my attention are WOHN, a Coleraine based outfit featuring John Wisener (Singer. Guitar), Matthew McVicker (Lead Guitar), Dylan Norton (Drums) and Reece Gordon (Bass).

They deal in loud brand of psychedelic, shoegaze-tinged rock that is going down a storm across Ireland. With a loyal following amongst their local scene, WOHN have played across their home country, from the North Coast to Dublin. A fast-growing fan base on their socials, and dedicated gig goers, only reflects their reputation as promising up and comers.

This year the band have released two cracking singles. Back in February they dropped ‘A-OK’. A slow burner of a track that explodes in the chorus into incendiary vocals and ferocious guitars. The neat trick though is that they never lose the melody, rather it’s protected at all costs. The verses echoing a young Idlewild in approach in their intricate guitar parts. All in all, it’s a wonderful track and a great calling card for the band.

Their latest release is called ‘No Shelter’. This track heads in a more post punk direction with its angular guitar attack against almost spoken word vocals in the verses. The chorus simply takes off heavenwards. Soaring guitars lift Wiseners powerful vocal delivery. His emotive screams in the closing section really make you sit up and take notice.

WOHN have created a really cohesive sound that helping cement their reputation as a killer live band. I’m hoping that they head into the studio soon to give us a that very sound on their debut album.  I’ll be here to take you through it track by track once it arrives. Let’s hope its soon.

You can check out all that WOHN are up to using the bands link tree here.

You can follow WOHN on social media here…

Thought Bubble – Nowhere

It’s been just over a year since I wrote about the debut album from alt electronic duo Thought Bubble. A lot has happened in those ensuing twelve months for the band. Which is why it gives me enormous pleasure to hear that they’re back with their latest record, Nowhere.

Thought Bubble, as you’ll remember, are keyboardist Chris Cordwell and percussionist Nick Raybould. They make the most glorious electro psych music and since releasing their debut, Around, Raybould underwent some lifesaving surgery. I asked him how that experience coloured the creation of this album.

“During the original lockdown I was diagnosed with having massively blocked arteries around my heart and in need of an urgent operation. I was on a waiting list for about ten months before undergoing a quadruple bypass. All the time, me and my Thought Bubble buddy Chris recorded loads and loads of music. It was the only way of distracting me from dwelling on what could be… the end.”

“Nowhere is from a lyric, but in my mind it’s where we were going in lockdown – and furthermore, where I could be by the time the album appeared. Thankfully the procedure was a huge success. Despite my precarious state, I did all the drums and hand percussion on this album and, as you’ll hear, Chris and I brought in a few favours from other remote musicians.”

They say music is the great healer and it seems this album helped to do just that. Let’s dive in and see what the boys have in store for us.

The album opens on the aptly titled ‘Now Boarding’. A driving, metronomic drumbeat providing the launch pad for Cordwell’s cascading and hazy synth lines. Metallic rhythmic percussion really delivering that feeling of motion. Towards what though? We’re unsure but know we are getting there.

Next up is the claustrophobia of ‘Superficial’.  Pablo Raybould, actor brother to Nick, returns to add his dulcet tones to this one. Last heard on ‘Mobius Trip’ on Around he delivers a cracking performance again here. Is this a love letter, a railing against the night, whatever, it’s sheer poetry and makes me smile every time.

‘Distraction Engine’ grows from a syncopated synth part into a dark and brooding meander. I particularly like how sympathetic the drums are to that syncopated rhythm. Never aping, only augmenting and embellishing. The very measure of restraint it allows room for the ghostly whispers and eerie wailing to affect their presence.

The pace quickens and things get a bit acid squelchy on ‘Neon Garden’. That almost motoric drumbeat stretches off into the distance as we float along on waves of sound. Bass and drums root this track as the synths wander off among the stars. This is really compelling music as well as Thought Bubbles trademark.  

As we enter the second half of the album the boys bring in another collaborator, Shaun Bailey from ambient electronica outfit MonkeyTrial. Bailey adds some out-there guitar sounds to ‘Response’. His parts are spacious and work beautifully as a foil to Cordwell’s tightly woven synths. You can almost sense the release at the moment his part begins.

‘Control Your Own Story’ has a glorious swagger to it. Raybould providing the nailed down groove behind the kit and vocals to boot.  In stark contrast Cordwell is going absolutely nuts over the top. It’s a stellar performance and absolutely makes this track. These two know how to play to each other’s strengths, that’s obvious, but here they take that up a level. Musical magic.

The collaborations continue with Rob Williams from BABAL bringing his guitar magic to ‘Propulsion’. There’s an African tribal feel to Williams modal guitar work. The Thought Bubble boys rise to the occasion with a cacophony of percussion work and spacious synth work leaving room for the guitar to do its thing. This is my album stand out track and the one I return to time and time again.

The album comes to close with the serene and beautiful ‘Cloudbursting’. It features the sumptuous vocals of Laura Pickering of Neotopia fame. The song hangs around this walking bassline and ever shifting drumbeat. Everything else seems to happen so effortlessly. From the synth jam to Pickering’s nuanced delivery, it’s an absolute joy and the perfect end to this listening experience.

As always, Thought Bubble have produced an album that both excites and challenges us as listeners. Very much like Around, you feel like they have created a world for you to visit. Somewhere to get lost for the time you have this wonderful music in your head and heart. Lost and happy to be lost.

Nowhere is available now via Echodelick Records on lovely purple vinyl. You can also visit the Thought Bubble Bandcamp page for your vinyl and digital fix.

Follow Thought Bubble on social media here…

Photo Credits:

Header image by Harry Collison & Pete Stanley

Nick by Pete Stanley

Chris by Dan Raybould