On the record: All about rock for the coral (From Redditch Advertiser)

On the record: All about rock for the coral

7:00am Saturday 17th July 2010

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What's hot and what's not in this week's new releases.

By Polly Weeks

The Coral return with a new album, but will it live up to their previous LPs?

And Danger Mouse and American alt-rock band Sparklehorse combine for their release, Dark Night Of The Soul - but is it any good? Read on to find out...

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul After a lengthy legal battle and the unfortunate death of Sparklehorse main-man Mark Linkous, the Linkous/Mouse collaboration effort finally sees an official release. There's a lot to be said for Danger Mouse - he really stamps his mark on any work he puts his name to. The ambient pop roots of his new project, Broken Bells, are quite blatant here; not least when James Mercer of The Shins makes an appearance. However, the sublime lyricism and sombre tone throughout can only be attributed to Linkous. Guest vocals from Gruff Rhys, The Flaming Lips and Iggy Pop add further credibility. One of the few collaboration albums that sounds exactly as expected, which, in this case, can only be a good thing.

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Lewis Young)

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndriod

From the classical strains of the opening track of Janelle Monae's debut studio album, you soon realise this US singer/songwriter is a maverick. Blending many influences to create a sparkling musical landscape, she displays a vocal maturity and sensitivity way beyond her years. First appearing on Outkast's 2006 release Idlewild, Janelle has since impressed hip hop impresario Sean Combs - whose Bad Boy Records label has released The ArchAndroid. But feisty Janelle has remained in control, crafting a genre-bending album that doesn't compromise on her unique style. Come Alive (War Of The Roses), with its shouty New Wave chorus, could become a Friday night anthem. Elsewhere, Tightrope featuring Outkast's Big Boi is a retro-soul stomper.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Kelly Haskins)

Emilie Simon - The Big Machine

Emilie Simon has already enjoyed plenty of success in her native France, but now she is beginning to make waves both in the UK and the US - and no wonder. The Big Machine is undoubtedly one of the music highlights of the year so far, with Simon's haunting vocals (sung in English) offering a glorious hybrid of Kate Bush and Alison Goldfrapp. The instrumentation in most cases is sparse-yet-beguiling electronica - which blends seamlessly with her voice. Opening track Rainbow starts in a straightforward fashion before Simon's voice really soars to demand immediate attention. From there on in it is simply a pleasure to listen to. Chinatown, Ballad Of The Big Machine and The Cycle are equally memorable and there is not a duffer among the 12 tracks. A star in the making if there is any justice.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Kim Mayo)

Health - Disco 2

This is a remix album of Get Color by LA noise-rock outfit, Health. This sophomore collection was preceded in a similar vein by Disco, which featured remixes of the outfit's self-titled debut album. CFCF, Pictureplane and Crystal Castles all provided remixes on Disco and have returned alongside eight other producers to feature on Disco 2. Far removed from the group's distorted signature sound, these remixes concentrate on the band's dreamy, monotone vocals - and the result is ethereal and spacey. There are three remixes of Before Tigers on the album: CFCF's version is dreary and forgettable; Gold Panda's has a Four Tet feel and Blindoldfreak's provides an epic end to the album. Disco (in the title) is wholly misleading and the overproduced album falls disappointingly into the dated Eurodance, chillout and electronica genres, making it only a worthy accompaniment to hours spent in front of a mesmerising screen saver or partaking in another equally numbing activity.

Rating: 4/10 (Review by Tori Mayo)

The Coral - Butterfly House

This Wirral collective have always had a range of styles at their disposal, among them the late 1960s or early 1970s-style psychedelic rock this fifth album focuses on. The 12 tracks here flow along with none of the abrupt changes of the first couple of albums. However, occasionally the tracks do seem to flow into one another. Personal favourites here include She's Comin' Around, Two Faces, and Green Is The Colour. It's a dreamily pleasant album that could very easily be mistaken for something recorded during the Summer of Love - and that's a compliment, not a criticism!

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Maurice Buxton)

School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire

Some people call School Of Seven Bells a shoegaze act, but other commentators favour tagging them as dream-pop. Fans of splicing together words from disparate genres have even offered up synth-wave to describe them. However, having built on the lush electronic washes of 2008's Alpinisms, it would be straightforward enough to file them under 'excellent'. Former Secret Machines man Benjamin Curtis provides the lean, textured keys and filtered guitar lines, while identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza are on hand with honey-rich harmonies that call to mind Brooklyn trendsetters Telepathe. The swooning Babelonia is the pick of the crop.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Rory Dollard)

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun - Fireplace

Fireplace is the first offering from The Boy Who Trapped The Sun, or Colin MacLeod - to make him sound a little less mysterious. MacLeod hails from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, but has been based in London while working on his debut with producer Ed Harcourt - whose influence can be heard on tracks such as Thorn In Your Side and Dreaming Like A Fool. Katy is the perfect summer song and was an obvious choice as the lead single, while Copper Down and Home are reminiscent of Snow Patrol's quieter moments. The overall forecast for The Boy Who Trapped The Sun is that although his debut may be slightly dull in parts, there is enough to suggest a bright future.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Andrew Carless)

Infant Sorrow - Get Him To The Greek

Russell Brand sings as the fictitious Aldous Snow for 14 of the 15 songs included on this soundtrack, which recruited an impressive line-up of writers - including Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barat, Jason Buckle and Mike Viola - to root the album in familiar British pop-rock. Some, such as The Clap and Riding Daphne, are heavily plot-related, but all are funny, profanity-laden pastiches of arrogant rock songs about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Stand-out tracks include F.O.H, Bangers, Beans and Mash, and Just Say Yes. Rose Byrne, who plays Snow's girlfriend Jackie Q, duets on Supertight and closes with solo track Ring 'Round - with a killer final lyric that perfectly sums up the album's tongue-in-cheek debauchery.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Natalie Bowen)

Eliza Doolittle - Eliza Doolittle

Eliza Doolittle epitomises the musical youth of today. Carved from the same block as Lily Allen and Kate Nash, the singer is yet another modern, self-involved, blogging songstress. The question is, does the former child actress have enough of what it takes to make her stand out from the crowd? Her eponymous debut showcases a variety of indie-pop songs, with a range of influences from the soulful to the folky. It's undoubtedly a quirky mix, though a little lacking in substance. Tuneful and radio-friendly, Doolittle's first effort is fun, perfectly polished and technically accomplished, she just needs a bit more work to discover her musical direction.

Rating: 6/10 (Review by Nathania Hartley)

Mitchell Museum - The Peters Port Memorial Service

This Glasgow-based quartet's debut LP sees them inhabiting an insular galaxy of twee psychedelia; a gauzy, swooning world of unremitting cheeriness where even lines such as 'I said I'd forgiven you, but you knew that was a lie' are tossed with a smile. Although at points this approach inevitably grates, for the most part they pull off the act with no little charm. Things kick off with We Won 2nd Prize and Warning Bells, a double whammy of anthemic, hook-infested sing-alongs that take equal influence from Arcade Fire and Animal Collective. Along with the cute-as-a-button pop whimsy of Tiger Heartbeat, all the signs point to a bright future for this bunch.

Rating: 6/10 (Review by Simon Harker)

Singles by Polly Weeks

:: Mark Ronson and The Business Intl - Bang Bang Bang

Featuring the vocal skills of Q Tip and MNDR, this summer hit is an incredibly catchy tune which deserves a high chart placement.

:: Plan B - Prayin'

Plan B's soulful reinvention continues on this uptempo number. It's not as catchy as She Said, but it is still good value.

:: Professor Green feat. Lily Allen - Just Be Good To Green Featuring the vocal skills of Lily Allen, this sampled tune will most likely reach the top of the charts - and rightly so.

:: On the road

Patti Smith and band, The Serpentine Sessions, Hyde Park, London, June 29 Patti Smith was in a playful mood as she kicked off her European tour at London's Hyde Park. Spitting water out into the crowd, she excused herself by saying: "When you're a minor rock icon and you get to my age you have to decide whether to drink water then spit it out, or drink it then p**s your pants." But she was as sublime as she was ridiculous, bringing new energy to old hits such as Because The Night and Redondo Beach. With help from band member Lenny Kaye she sang a moving version of People Have The Power, and closed with an inspired mash-up of Horses and Gloria.

(Review by Lisa Williams)

Tour dates

:: Swedish popstar Robyn returns to the UK in October to play Glasgow, Manchester, Brighton and London. For full details, visit www.myspace.com/robynmyspace :: American metal stars KORN head to the UK in October for three dates. They play Southampton, Wolverhampton and Manchester. For full details, visit www.seetickets.com :: Note to editors: This is a re-send of Music: Music Reviews, sent July 7, to replace headline.

:: Please note language in Patti Smith live review.

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