Mick Harvey "Four (Acts of Love)"

Reviewed by Amanda Votta

Mick Harvey has had a long and illustrious career. Spending time in The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds in his earlier days, he’s also made solo albums and film scores, handled production for artists like PJ Harvey and Rowland S. Howard, along with numerous Bad Seeds-related albums. Yet, while he has certainly kept busy throughout his career, his own solo albums seem to be somewhat overlooked in favor of his collaborations. That is criminal though, as his solo work is the equal to anything he ever did in collaboration, or any of his film scores. On his most recent studio album, Four (Acts of Love), he again ably and amply demonstrates his genius, crafting gorgeous, deceptively simple songs that are perfectly constructed. The album itself is a song cycle, divided into three parts, each part dealing with a different aspect of romantic love: loss, reawakening and our struggles with it.

This is, of course, done in the way Mick Harvey does things. It’s an ephemeral, contradictory, and what some might term dark exploration of what love is, what love means and keeps its distance from contemplations on love often found in popular culture. Love, here, won’t necessarily save you or make everything alright, won’t always bring you calm and peace. It will mystify you, lead you down a winding path to a conclusion that isn’t really a conclusion, but another part of the journey. This search for meaning and lack of true conclusion or reassurance is a thread that runs brightly through all of Harvey’s work. Here, the path begins with the beautiful “Praise the Earth (Wheels of Amber and Gold)”—a song structured around a simple, delicate, repeating musical motif that becomes sublime when coupled with Mick Harvey’s voice. The sound of his voice and the way it blends in with yet rises above the instrumentation in a kind of perfect accord thoroughly compliments the music, allowing his words to ring out clearly. He sings of the sun, the moon, the sea and the earth in what sounds to be poignant joy at their beauty. But then, the sun and moon themselves speak through Harvey, reminding us that one day even their light will die. At the end of the song, the question is posed that is contemplated throughout the album: “Our dreams and all that we’ve done, where have they gone?” Based on a hymn originally composed by Reginald Heber, Harvey’s reinterpretation maintains the aura of a sacred song—but a sacred song not without skepticism directed at the divine which it was intended to praise. The PJ Harvey-penned “Glorious” follows, a song that both mourns and celebrates an overwhelming, ruinous love. Though the song is distinctly PJ Harvey’s, having that certain bluesy tone to the music and flair to the lyrics she does so well, and she does duet with him on it, Mick makes it his own entirely. “Where There’s Smoke (Before)” adds a bit of dissonance into the mix and closes out Act 1. The companion to this track, “Where There’s Smoke (After),” opens Act 3 and is infused instead with something almost darkly jazzy. “I Wish That I Were Stone” perhaps best exemplifies Harvey’s ability to masterfully craft a song.

The music itself is fuller yet still delicate and rises and falls in subtle counterpoint to Harvey’s voice. Throughout the three acts are sprinkled a handful of eclectic covers: Van Morrison’s “The Way Young Lovers Do,” The Saint’s “The Story of Love,” Exuma’s “Summertime in New York”—wherein something of Harvey’s past in bands like The Birthday Party can be discerned—and Roy Orbison’s classic “Wild Hearts,” which is stunningly interpreted here. The songs are joined together at times by instrumental interludes; short, atmospheric songs in which Harvey’s skill as a film composer can be heard. “Midnight on the Ramparts” is an excellent illustration of this, in which an echoing whistle rises above the instruments, intimating a quiet longing. At the end of this cyclical journey, we arrive back at the beginning with a second version of “Praise the Earth.” The words “Into the unknown” ring out the end of the cycle, leaving us no wiser than at the start. But when dealing with the subject of love, of the joy and sorrow it can bring, there can be no definitive answer. The rambling, winding journey is all there is.

Available on vinyl, CD, and digital.

Hurricane Heart Attacks "Happiness Revisited"

Reviewed by Timothy Ferguson

From their name alone, you might guess that Hurricane Heart Attacks would sound like modern psych giants the Warlocks. Although I know HHA leader Jota Humada is a huge fan of the LA based Warlocks, admiration seems to be where he draws the line.

Happiness Revisited is the second Hurricane Heart Attacks release, following the sterling debut "Hurricane Love" (2011). Where the Warlocks offer a darker worldview, where grey skies prevail and hope dies a lonely death every Saturday night, Hurricane Heart Attacks feel more and more like spiritual salvation.

Indeed, the opening track from "Happiness Revisited", "Reverend C. L. Franklin’s Prayer Hymn" wastes no time in drawing that distinction. Every time I listen to this CD, I feel like I’m waking up in church after another debauched night. There is a sincerity and steadfastness in this opening that has a palliative effect, cleansing away the cynicism of the night before. Here you are safe. Here you are loved. Here you are good again.

When title track "Happiness Revisited" hits you, with it’s beautiful chiming guitars, church organ, big bass guitar and thundering drums, it’s what I imagine the house band in heaven is going to sound like. This is sincere. This is real.

Putting Hurricane Heart Attacks in a box is a difficult task. Is this neo-psychedelia? Maybe. There’s a definite 60s vibe at work here, but drawing comparisons seems a difficult task, made silly by tossing around the typical reference points. Their music seems more influenced by folk psych, and takes a more natural approach. Hurricane Heart Attacks don’t need to fool your mind with a ton of effects or studio tricks. They come at you with an honest sound that is spiritual and pure – like a mantra. Part Stevenson Ranch Davidians, part Dolly Rocker Movement, but in reality, a very unique and wonderful sound all their own.

Whenever the excesses of modern psychedelia (or modern life, for that matter) get you down, give yourself over to Buenos Aires’ beloved sonic export Hurricane Heart Attacks. They will set you right.
 

Jeffertitti's Nile "The Electric Hour"

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records continue with their uncanny knack for hoarding artists that tick both the "bad-ass rock n roll" and "psychedelic" boxes, and all without resorting to the overdone reverb mode that seems to be the preset for combining these two styles.

Jeffertitti's Nile are new to the label and "The Electric Hour" is their most confident statement of purpose so far.

Psychedelic bands covering blues material is nothing new, but Jeffertitti's Nile have bypassed the problem faced by so many who have tried (basic problem - white boys sounding like they have pretty much no soul to speak of) by turning Bessie Smith's "Blue Spirit Blues" into a furious piece of psychedelic surf-punk. Quite an opener, and the band's originals are more than a match for it.

The best tracks on here seamlessly combine hairy seventies guitar riffery with spacious celestial rock; "The Day The Sky Fell" combines easy going choogle with delicately balanced, gently swelling guitars in a slow burning approximation of an Icelandic, post-rock Canned Heat, while best of all is "No One" which rides a big, sweaty guitar riff until the choruses explode into a trippy breakdown of treated vocal "ahs" that sound like a star exploding in slow motion.

Fabulous.

Available late April from Beyond Beyond is Beyond. Stream "Blue Spirit Blues" or pre-order below:

Barry Uhl "An Account Of The Happenings At Wretched Knob"

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

"An artist who is far beyond his time, who was discovered long ago by critics, fans, and fellow musicians. Welcome to the now. Sadly, you will always be too late." - that's how Damien Jurado describes Barry Uhl, and he should know; Uhl has spent time in Jurado's band as well as proving himself in the excellent indie/psych-pop group Cloud War (who have a so-far unreleased album that will knock your socks off once it's out and about).

Now add to that an ambitious debut solo release here in "An Account Of The Happenings At Wretched Knob" and it's clear that Uhl has both a vision and a drive to bring that vision to life.

A multi-media release ( a series of stories, illustrations, and a soundtrack; meant to be absorbed as one piece), I only engaged my aural senses in the lead up to this review, and the lack of visual stimulus certainly didn't make the experience any less rich.

A series of character based vignettes about the inhabitants of, and visitors to, the fictional settlement of Wretched Knob, Uhl's well rounded characters are brought to life in startling detail via a top drawer selection of deceptively complex indie baroque pop tunes that perfectly combine the progressive tendencies of Grizzly Bear with the melodic spark of early Ben Folds Five.

Every note is perfectly placed, giving the unusual impression of much care being given without spontaneity being sacrificed - a very fine tightrope from which most artists topple at an early stage.

While it's certainly a cohesive 'album' album, it's also easy to imagine almost any of these tracks making a huge impression on their own if heard in the right circles, chief among them "Doctor Archibald Davenport Drearum" which is positively teeming with sunny, kaleidoscopic "Smile" harmonies, while it's hard to fault the evolution of "Admiral Orofino, Or, The Deliv'ryman Of Much Secrets And Death" from a perfectly observed piece of Macca style psych fluff to full blown, madcap prog-pop in just over four thrilling minutes.

Tremendous.

Available as a digital download or hardcover book / vinyl combo here (full album stream too).

Read more about "An Account Of The Happenings At Wretched Knob" here.

Hear more from Barry about "Wretched Knob" in this video: 

Hi Fiction Science / Black Springs Clips

Here's a couple of nice video clips to firstly whet, and then satisfy the appetite.

First up here's a teaser that Esoteric Recordings have put together for the upcoming Hi-Fiction Science album "Curious Yellow", which on the evidence of the tracks shared in this clip is going to be something a wee bit special.



And here's a real nice clip for a new song from Sydney based melodic psych people Black Springs.
Their first E.P was pretty satisfying stuff, but "Silver Ship" promises a follow up that will reach the next level.

Lords of Thyme "Proud Maisre / If I Was A Bird"

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

When weirdo Wicker folk proggers Circulus quietly folded Joe Woolley, Tali Trow and Pat Kenneally decided to keep the homefires burning under the name Lords of Thyme and their first single sifts out  the proggier wyrd elements that Circulus were infamous for and in the process they've created what is quite probably the best thing that any of the three have put their name to at this point.
Add the fabulous vocals of Michelle Griffiths and you're on to a winner.

Much has already been made of The Lords of Thyme's aural similarities to Pentangle, and on the evidence of A-side "Proud Maisre" I can't fault that argument - from the supple, circular acoustic guitar figures to the swinging double bass and percussion, this is very much in the style of and indeed in the same leagues as those particular giants. The marvelous arrangement only accounts for part of the considerable appeal here though, it's the conviction with which Woolley and Griffiths deliver their vocal parts that really sells it.

B-side "If I Was a Bird" is less overtly folky, in an easy going troubadour style that fans of early John Martyn won't find displeasing. Of the two tracks on offer here this one is almost certainly the more easy to sell to a contemporary audience. Indeed my partner (who is liable to run screaming from anything with the barest hint of 'warble') notedly pricked up her ears and was heard to remark "This is nice" - and she couldn't be more right, this is very nice indeed and makes me hunger for a full album.

Of course having old hand John Wood (Nick Drake, John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Nico, The Incredible String Band) on hand to offer his considerable mixing experience doesn't do any harm either.

Extremely lovely stuff.

Available on 7" from Sunstone Records - order direct from the label here.

Sky Picnic & The Green Tambourine Band New Releases

We've started the month with a couple of new releases on Active Listener Records.

Sky Picnic have put together an entry in the Active Listener Introduces series for us which includes key album tracks, singles and the debut of their brand new single - all for $5. If you're a fan of Pink Floyd's earlier spacy material you should definitely check this out.

Edinburgh's Green Tambourine Band also grace us with the release of their debut album - essential listening for lovers of "Revolver" and early Arthur Lee / Love material. 

 

SKY PICNIC "THE ACTIVE LISTENER INTRODUCES SKY PICNIC" 

AL018

From: Brooklyn, New York

Style: Psychedelic / Progressive Space Rock / U.K Psych-Pop

Recommended if you like: Pink Floyd, Kaleidoscope, Donovan

Listen / buy here.

Brooklyn based psychedelic rock three piece Sky Picnic have spent the last five years perfecting the balance between concise, melodic songcraft (with a distinctive U.K psych-pop influence), and a more exploratory, spontaneous spirit that fuses the fearlessness of the best psychedelic voyagers with the precision of vintage progressive rock.

The Active Listener is very proud to introduce you to one of our most cherished favourites with this specially compiled entry in the Active Listener Introduces series.

Featuring the best work from their two stunning Nasoni LPs "Farther In This Fairytale" and "Paint Me A Dream" as well as rarities and a brand new single from their forthcoming third album, this is the ideal starting point for this essential act.

THE GREEN TAMBOURINE BAND "...LET YOURSELF BE / AUM"

AL017

From: Edinburgh, Scotland

Style: Melodic Psychedelic Pop/Folk-Rock / Jangle

Recommended if you like: The Beatles, Arthur Lee, Love

Listen / buy here.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, longtime friends Jack, Liam and Murray first came together musically over five years ago, and officially became known as the Green Tambourine Band in 2012, with another old friend Ross joining in 2013 to comprise the full line up.

Using vintage analogue gear, the creation of their debut full length has been an unhurried process that has allowed these melodically endowed psychedelic gems to reach their fullest potential before being unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

Each half of the album is based around a different suite of songs, with the first "...Let Yourself Be" side encouraging the purity of living life in the moment via a set of concisely executed garage/psych folk-rock gems with the jangle of early Love and the melodic clout of "Revolver" era Beatles.

The second "Aum" side on the other hand represents the beginning of the universe, the world now, and the destruction and rebirth of a funky new world in its three interconnected parts.

Giallos Flame "Archivio Giallo Volume One"

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

Ron Graham, aka Giallos Flame was a man ahead of his time when he started revisiting obscure vintage soundtracks for inspiration over ten years ago. Everyone's doing it now, but Graham was the original Umberto, and where the likes of Umberto have become critical darlings with a huge blogosphere presence, Giallos Flame has never been given the credit that his forward thinking, not to mention the quality of his compositions warrants.

Enter new label Rotary Tower and their first release which attempts to right this particular wrong.

"Archivio Giallo Volume One" is the first in three planned archival releases of Graham's work and focuses on what is likely to be the most popular facet of his work - synth heavy mood pieces that draw on the likes of John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi and the likes while adding plenty of his own personality and killer tunes to match.

While most practitioners of the vintage horror synth genre tend to work almost exclusively with synthesizers, Graham integrates live bass, drums and guitars into the mix (all played by himself I believe), and the results often manage the difficult task of blending terrifying dread infused pulses with the extremely funky.

And unlike the original horror scores that inspired Graham (which generally feature at most four or five different themes and variations upon them for each movie, as required), this collection offers fifteen distinct tracks. The influence is often clear, but the execution inspired.

Highly recommended.

"Archivio Giallo Volume One" is a digital only release, available here very soon.

Stream the album here:

Peacock Farm "S/T E.P"

Reviewed by Nathan Ford

I introduced you to Swedish band Peacock Farm with this track on last month's sampler, but the truth of the matter is that I could have included any of the four tracks here from their debut E.P and you'd have been just as impressed.

Effortlessly combining a modern progressive rock feel (not that metally progressive rock that seems to be the flavour today) with hooky, anthemic choruses that wouldn't have been out of place in the output of the more cerebral bands lumped in with the last remnants of the Britpop scene (Doves, Elbow, Mansun etc.), Peacock Farm have a knack for letting their songs evolve from quite simple, melodic 'pop' songs (for want of a better word), into vast anthems with a spacey, Kosmische sheen and effectively lyrical guitar workouts that borrow the vocal melodies and use them as a launching pad to prog-Nirvana.

The only complaint I have is that at just four tracks this feels like part of a work rather than a complete piece. Its epic nature is ideal for an album length statement, and this E.P feels like half of an album. But hey, it's good to be left wanting more isn't it?

Highly recommended, and the sooner these guys get an album out, the better.

Available as a digital download or 12" vinyl from the band's Bandcamp page here (and don't be too scared off by the prices - 20 SEK is just over $3 U.S):

Beck "Morning Phase"

Reviewed by Tom Sandford

The promotional narrative that led up to the release of Morning Phase planted the idea that the album was designed as a sequel to Beck’s 2002 masterpiece of moribund misery, Sea Change. Promulgation of the sequel angle was a canny PR move, insofar as it created the desired reactions of fevered anticipation (from Beck’s fans) and snorting cynicism (from his detractors) that lit up Internet forums even before a lick had been heard. But such a narrative also put Beck in the unenviable position of having to prove he had once again come up with the goods. And so the questions that seemed foremost in the minds of both critics and fans were whether Beck had, in fact, created a worthy sequel along the lines of, say, The Godfather Part II, or would Morning Phase turn out to be stained with the stamp of stale regurgitation (i.e. Sea Change II: Still Changin’).

That said, it’s not entirely a fool’s errand to get drawn into the whole Sea Change/Morning Phase narrative, because the albums do indeed share some rather obvious similarities, including use of the same musicians and the same moody acoustic flavour (truth be told, at times these similarities are undeniable and, one would hope, a deliberate attempt at establishing a link: compare ‘Morning’ with ‘The Golden Age’ from Sea Change). Once again the album is given stirring orchestral arrangements by Beck’s father, David Campbell, who displays astonishing empathy with the material. Check out the ethereal beauty of ‘Wave’ and tell me you’re unmoved.

Sea Change was a soul-baring tour de force of romantic despair; one that seemed even more devastating because we had all come to view Beck as the ever-aloof master of ironic detachment. It was Beck’s dark night of the soul. Morning Phase, on the other hand – and here is where the idea of its being a sequel actually feels truly apropos and poetic – creates an atmosphere of deliverance into a morning of spiritual renewal, a la Van Morrison’s ‘Brand New Day.’

In this hazy morning-after phase there is still loneliness and sadness, but on the whole Morning Phase feels brighter, more optimistic than Sea Change. Listen to the soaring, positively exhilarating chorus in ‘Morning’ that takes off like the morning’s first jolt of caffeine, or the pulsing, chipper clip of ‘Heart is a Drum’. There is weariness in the words, but defiance in the music. If there was any intention of establishing a continuum between the two albums, then perhaps that is the intended takeaway. But make no mistake: taken on its own merit, set apart from the intimidating shadow cast by Sea Change during its 14-year climb to modern classic status, Morning Phase has already distinguished itself in this manner, in only a fraction of the time.

Available on vinyl, CD, and digitally.