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096 MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
Surfer Blood
1000 Palms
Surfer Blood have always
mirrored the defining indie rock
of decades past, but their third
album finds them lighter and
dreamier than ever. While it’s
still nothing overly distinct, it’s
consistently likeable. Returning
to their D.I.Y self-recorded roots
after a brief major-label stint,
the Florida quartet cruise nicely
through breathy vocals and
chiming guitar hooks. Older fans
will get serious flashbacks to
the ’80s and ’90s alike, but others
will just appreciate the wintry
melodies and snappy songs about
covered wagons, catacombs, and
desert cities. (Caroline/Universal)
DougWallen
Built to Spill Untethered Moon
It’s been six years between Built to Spill albums,
and there’s a new bassist and drummer on board for
Untethered Moon; but the veteran Idaho band feels
more comfortable than ever. Frontman and guitar
god Doug Martsch co-produces with Quasi’s Sam
Coomes, yielding delightfully unpolished results.
As usual, Martsch stretches tousled pop songs
into sprawling marathons punctuated by great woolly jags of guitar soloing.
Longtime fans will relish all the familiarity here, especially Martsch’s vocal
swings from groggy drawl to nasal sneer. Another Day opens with one of their
trademark reeling hooks, while So kicks up sputtering fuzz and Never Be the
Same showcases the band’s tighter pop side. But most of these tunes run
wild and free, from layered opener All Our Songs to the stoner dankness of
eight-minute finale When I’m Blind. The songs can sound quite similar to each
other (and to past albums), but C.R.E.B. stands out right away with its genre-
crossed reggae slink. Lead single Living Zoo is classic Built to Spill, cramming
epic guitar glory into a compact setting. BTS may not be making significant
departures, but they’re still masters of untidy indie rock. ( Warner) DougWallen
Judas Priest
Defenders of the Faith
30th Anniversary Deluxe Ed
Judas Priest’s back catalogue
reissue program continues, with
1984 classic Defenders of the
Faith getting a makeover – the
original album is re-mastered here.
As a bonus, fans can enjoy a full
live show from Long Beach Arena
in Los Angeles, held on May 5th
1984. Purists will stand behind the
sound of the original recordings,
but this 30th Anniversary Deluxe
Edition satisfies. Of all the albums
Priest released in the eighties
Defenders… is my favourite. One
listen to Jawbreaker, The Sentinel
or Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
will give you an understanding as
to why.
(Sony Music) Simon Lukic
Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club Live in Paris
As ugly as this sounds... remember
when U2 were amazing? They
exuded effortless power, depth
and control – before saving the
world by selling multi-national
wares and feeding hollow social
debate. That’s what BRMC
have now, in spades. Spread
over two discs with a bonus
DVD of the entire set, disc one
is essentially the latest album
in studio order; then we get
snippets of an enviable career.
Having experienced them live, one
understands their power, capable
of exploding straight into your soul.
While this is a far more sombre
affair overall (almost The Cure-ish),
it’s a grower – Spread Your Love
and Whatever Happened to My
Rock’n’Roll hit hard, fast and well.
(Liberation/Universal) Chris Murray
Wire Wire
Although you wouldn’t have
guessed it from last year’s live
shows, these seminal art-punks
seem much happier chappies
these days, and their 13th
studio album LP is probably the
warmest they’ve sounded in
years. If their last LP Change
Becomes Us (2013) was built
on song sketches dating back to
1980, here they seem intent on
recapturing the sweet, melodic
tones of Outdoor Miner, the
closest thing they probably ever
got to writing a pop hit back in
1978. Songs like In Manchester,
Burning Bridges and Swallow
boast hummable hooks and
choruses, while singer Colin
Newman sounds positively
soothing on most of the songs.
(MGM) John Ferguson
George Fitzgerald
Fading Love
George Fitzgerald is well known
and respected for his impressive
range of work across a number
of influential dance music labels.
Innovative and tireless in his work,
the UK-born, Berlin-based artist is
now known as a key figure in the
present generation of producers.
A defining quality of his work is
the bridging of innovative club
styles with subtle pop. Fading
Love is a brilliant showcase of this
approach: a faintly melancholic
exploration of modern electronic
and dance music across a full
album of material. There’s heavy
bass, driving house rhythms, and
nuanced melodies, all combined
to produce an album destined
to move you emotionally and
physically. (Domino/Univeral)
SimonWinkler
Clark
Flame Rave
By coincidence, this month we
have two reviews by two British
artists who’ve made Berlin their
adopted home. Both have an
equally adventurous approach.
Clark is certainly known for his
control of sound as well as his
embrace of chaos, and Flame
Rave is complex and absorbing (as
Clark always is); a blend of equal
parts techno, jazz, soul, hip hop,
modern classical and electronic
abstraction. These songs were
initially written as dancefloor-based
material suitable for energetic club
gigs, but the emotional range and
intricacy of detail make them ideal
headphone listening as well.
(Inertia) SimonWinkler
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