STACK November 2016 Issue 145

80 / 128

Sleigh Bells
Jessica Rabbit
Since reviving the spectacle
and glamour of arena rock in
2010 with their blaring debut
Treats, Sleigh Bells have been
trying to find the softer edges
in their sound. Now on their
fourth album, they’re almost
unrecognizable from the duo
that strutted to a track like
Infinity Guitars.
The blare still rears its head,
but they make more use of
drum machines and synths, and
Alexis Krauss’s expanded vocal
range. With verses that sound
more Coldplay than KISS and
pummelling riffs swapped out
for piano ballads, Sleigh Bells
prove they’ve ground left to
cover yet.
(Sinderlyn/Remote Control)
Jake Cleland
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80 NOVEMBER 2016
MUSIC REVIEWS
Dorsal Fins
Digital Zodiac
Dorsal Fins have become one
of the most bankable live bands
in the country, but their records
aren’t far behind. With Eagle &
the Worm on ice and Saskwatch
waiting for a new release, this is
Liam McGorry’s driving focus, and
hearing the A-Team of him, Ella
Thompson (GL) and Jarrad Brown
(Eagle & the Worm, VENUS II) back
together is thrilling. With vocal
duties split between the latter
two, Digital Zodiac takes cues
from psych and funk and ends up
unlike either: blazing crescendos
fall away for simmering keyboard
lines, squirrelly synths melt against
swaggering drum beats, Brown’s
crooning dances with Thompson’s
soul singing. Digital Zodiac is a
wicked tapestry of Dorsal Fins’
respective strengths.
(Dot Dash/Remote Control)
Jake Cleland
Helmet Dead To The World
One of the pioneers (alongside
Jesus Lizard) crossing between
indie, full-force riffs and carnage
bordering on metal since 1989 –
these guys should sound a little
tired. They don’t. This is as fresh
and dangerous as one would hope
with these guys, who’ve had a
relatively agile line-up alongside
founder Page Hamilton since 2004.
Since Hamilton dabbles in
everything from teaching to
film and TV scores these days,
the album offers much to the
ear; Expect The World has an
uncanny Mike Patton-meets-
Tool flavour while Die Alone has
so much groove, swagger, and
black aggression you can feel
sweat dripping off your own
walls. A triumph – you won’t be
disappointed.
(Sony) Chris Murray
Nekromantix
A Symphony Of Wolf Tones
And Ghost Notes
Nekromantix have been one
the most consistent acts on the
Hellcat Records roster. Right in
time for Halloween, the Denmark
trio’s latest is another in a long
installment of spirited rockabilly
LPs. Again, horror themes abound,
thanks to Kim Nekroman’s
ability to weave spooky lyricism
with coolsie, killer basslines.
Nekromantix are always a good
time – perfect party fodder – but
for some their spooky shtick may
have long expired. For me, they’ve
never topped the crass corniness
of Life Is A Grave & I Dig It!
(Hellcat Records)
Emily Kelly
Sting 57th & 9th
Clearly reinvigorated and showing
an alternate to his lute-playing
persona of recent times, Sting is
offering rare strength when most
peers his vintage have long retired
on a boat – although coming
across like Nickleback fronted by
Bono has a limited (albeit loaded)
audience. “This heart’s a lonely
hunter”, “Rock stars don’t ever die,
they only fade away”, “The future is
a just a place we’ve never been…”
Really!? This is the same guy who
wrote Don’t Stand So Close to Me
and So Lonely. No matter – he’s
out there sporting a new leather
jacket to “jam-out, dude” with
Middle America to the faint sound
of ‘ker-ching!’ from mainstream
radio. It’s slick, safe and will make
boomers feel young. Have you
heard the new Helmet album yet?
(Universal) Chris Murray
Jimi Hendrix
Machine Gun: The Filmore East 12/31/1969
Esoterica has no greater denomination than
Jimi Hendrix – fact. Janie Hendrix, the guitar
magician’s adopted sister and operations honcho
of the invaluable estate and legacy, is well aware
of this; every year or two she pumps out another
‘alternate’ bag of tricks with spatterings of ‘never-
before-released’ and ‘unavailable in its entirety’-style teasers for loyal
fans hungry for anything undiscovered in his vast but finite canon. When
The Experience disbanded, Jimi took on two new musicians and debuted
material over two nights which ended the ‘60s (NewYear's Eve and New
Year’s Day, no less) at the Filmore, which was officially released as Band
of Gypsys in March 1970. Here we have, quite simply, what it says on the
tin… the unabridged debut of this outfit rather than a collection. It’s a time
piece, a historical ‘must have’, but it’s not the definitive ideal of what this
new incarnation sounded like – rather a curio for the high fidelity elite. But
it is Jimi Hendrix: nervous, excited and desperate to deliver something
thrilling and new to his unsuspecting audience… it’s there that one can
find the joy, alchemy and masterful talent that he had towering over any
other performer alive at that moment. (Sony) Chris Murray
NxWorries Yes Lawd!
NxWorries is the effortlessly
cohesive collaboration of producer
Kxwledge (Kendrick Lamar’s To
Pimp A Butterfly) and man-in-
demand Anderson .Paak. Neither
outshines the other; Knxwledge’s
production chops are nothing short of
trailblazing – think J.Dilla’s Donuts as
a comparison – and you haven’t heard
anything as smooth as .Paak since
Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross
were steaming up your bedrooms.
Every detail of the 19-track debut is
carefully curated, from the samples
and dusty drums in Intro to .Paak’s
soulful hum in Another Time. Single
Lyk Dis is a highlight but the tracks
preceding it (Wngs and Best One) are
rounded but sharp, holy but horny.
Scared Money is an ‘80s throwback
and the beat on Suede, dare I say it,
is perfect. (StonesThrow/Inertia)
Tim Lambert