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16 FEBRUARY 2016
MUSIC
DIIV Is The Is Are
It’s been three years since DIIV’s
debut album Oshin exhumed the
sonic virtues of shoegaze and
dream pop for a new generation.
A three-year hiatus saw singer/
guitarist Zachary Cole Smith being
arrested for drug offences, and the
band lost drummer Colby Hewitt
to a struggle with addiction.
While musical references to the
debut can be found on their latest
double album Is The Is Are – in
particular the jangly guitar in first
single Dopamine , and opener Out
of Mind – there is a darker, more
cynical undertone that takes the
band to a more expansive sound
with Yr Not Far, Valentine and
Take Your Time displaying greater
maturity and experience. The
catchy riffs are still present but Is
The Is Are hints at a broadening
ambition.(CapturedTracks/Remote
Control) Paul Jones
Animal Collective
Painting With
The perfect little dual vocal hurdles
Avey Tare and Noah Lennox have
written for this tropical cocktail
of an album are off the planet.
It’s dark rum, though. An odd
Dadaist perspective links all of
the imagery, where deep beats,
volleying little croaks, bloated
synth fuzz and lab-created sighs
mingle with these unique Boosh-
like crimps; you can hear how
they’ve done it if you focus on
one voice at a time, but the effect
often sounds like the ‘Voice Oohs’
sound on a Yamaha keyboard.
It’s amazing. Golden Gal has
such a Regurgitator swagger,
and Vertical sounds like Avey’s
been squished Stanley-flat and
his mouth’s a mere spout. It’s like
bright, poisonous bacteria partying
in a petri dish and it’s beautiful.
(Domino) Zoë Radas
No Zu Afterlife
They're calling it "heat beat" and
why not? No Zu is a global funk
jam band sweating it out in the
pressure cooker of a Melbourne
recording studio, where barrages
of African drums are panned
hard left and right and vocals are
warped and pitched so Satan
can do call-and-response with
rope-skipping schoolgirls. Whistles
and cowbells, bongo furies and
saxophone freak-outs, dub bass
and house piano conspire to keep
non-stop party people pumping
without respite, as jungle birds
screech and vintage synths make
like many hands clapping. No Zu's
words are more decorative than
purposeful but hey, like your booty
reads lyric sheets.
(Chapter Music) Michael Dwyer
The Prettiots Fun's Cool
"These are the boys that I dated in
highschool/ They weren't very nice
and they weren't very cool." Cue
name-and-shame file from sexting
DJ to prom predator. Cute, clever
and in charge, the witty payback of
the lead single is a good indicator
of this US grrrl trio's debut. From
ukulele grunge to '50s flashbacks,
The Prettiots' minimal indie
pop sidesteps twee even in the
romantic desperation of Dreamboy
and Kiss Me Kinski. Typical is the
way that the one about some hunk
off Law & Order redeems itself
with the line, "You stepped into
the crime scene that was my life."
That's class.
(RoughTrade) Michael Dwyer
STREAMYOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AT JBHI-FI NOW... NOW!
olfmother Victorious
artoon acid visionary Andrew Stockdale woke up
ith cosmic egg on his face when his psychedelic
ck regeneration fell foul of internal ructions and
eery tastemakers circa 2012, briefly benching the
tro-tastic Wolfmother brand. What counts beyond
e fickle finger of pop hotness is how you pick up
d carry on, and after a DIY misstep with 2014's
New Crown, Victorious carries on with a sense of reaffirmation that
sounds positively heroic. The middle-fingered defiance of the returning
rock warrior propels the swashbuckling lyrics and galloping momentum
of the title track and The Love You Give ...but hey, that’s quite enough
about what it all means. His 'mother's canny Led Sabbath pastiche is
what put Stockdale on the map and ace LA producer Brendan O’Brien
(Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Springsteen) didn't come on board to reinvent the
Stonehenge. There's an acoustic textured scarf-waver in Pretty Peggy, a
modest reliance on generic filler (Gypsy Caravan? really?), and one rolled-
gold footstompin' '70s classic in Best Of A Bad Situation – complete with
widdly-diddly synth licks. As far as the new phase goes, that standout title
is a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Victorious" remains to be seen but the odds
haven’t looked this good since that scene-stealing debut.
(Universal) Michael Dwyer
Various Ministry Of Sound:
Summer Anthems 2016
Have you found yourself in the
passenger seat of your best
friend’s ride, responsible for the
road trip tunes and at a loss as
to what to offer the impatient
masses? Don’t Be So Hard On
Yourself – the Ministry of Sound
(and Jess Glynne) have your
back. They really aren’t kidding
when they call it a collection of
'Summer Anthems'; with a quality
and brimming tracklist which
includes everything from the Biebs
to Galantis, you’re sure to find
something for anyone fortunate
enough to be at the mercy of your
delicious, disc-spinning hands. So
go on, let the Duke take you on an
Ocean Drive.
(Ministry of Sound) Alesha Kolbe
Monster Truck
Sittin' Heavy
Monster Truck are legit, real
deal rock and roll rulers with an
enviable knack for combining hard
rock with smooth bluesy swagger.
The Canadians are so ballsy and
brash that you can almost smell
their unwashed, sweat-drenched
locks from the opening refrains
alone. Lead single Don’t Tell
Me How To Live is a shining
example of the Truck’s ability to
pen effortless hooks, as well as a
supreme showcase of vocalist Jon
Harvey’s immense vocal talents.
You can tell why Alice in Chains
and Slash are backing these guys.
Your dad’s gonna love ‘em.
(Dine Alone/CookingVinyl)
Emily Kelly