February 2018 | Top 5 Albums of the Month

5) Ezra Furman – ‘Transangelic Exodus’

I nearly didn’t listen to this album, which would’ve been a stupid thing to do. This is Ezra Furman’s seventh album release, and judging from what I’ve been hearing and reading, this is his best work to date. The album has a blistering cinematic sound and feel to it all, as each track seems tailored made for the big screen. The album takes you through a story as each song seems to have a clear narrative. There’s also some cool elements worked into album, much of them being electronic and provide that big sound. Also Ezra’s vocal performance on each track is consistently good, as you can really feel the emotion he gives off. Listen Here.

4) Anna Burch – ‘Quit the Curse’

This was the solo debut for Anna Burch, after stints with the bands Failed Flowers and Frontier Ruckus she finally flew from the nest and went solo. Quit The Curse is a fantastic debut album as it has such a laid back mellow feel to it and is easily digestable. With it’s indie pop hooks and softer than velvet vocals the album just seems to breeze through you. Clear reference points for the record would be The Softies and perhaps a the more gentle side of The Pastels. However Anna easily puts her own stamp on each track, creating an album which has given her a new coat of paint, as it’s clear she’s took a step away from her old folk roots. Listen Here

3) MGMT – ‘Little Dark Age’

MGMT have been a much loved act ever since their debut album Oracular Spectacular which featured tracks like ‘Electric Feel’, ‘Kids’ and ‘Time To Pretend’ all of which have become indie favourites. However since those releases it seems that the band have tried to distance themselves as far away as possible from that genre, as they’ve delved into various different styles – avoiding the mainstream. Little Dark Age however feels like a step in the right direction. Once again the band continue to push their boundaries by doing something different, however this time it feels like it has more substance. The album is a really dark and gothic twist on pop music, with sinister synths and haunting vocals.  The album has some great tracks like ‘Little Dark Age’ , ‘TSLAMP’ and a personal favourite ‘Me and Michael’, yet it’s not just these tracks as the whole album makes a wonderful listening experience. Listen Here

2) Table Scraps – ‘Autonomy’

Ever since I heard this record back in November before its release, I couldn’t wait for the day it was available to everyone because I knew the band had a fantastic album on their hands. Table Scraps as a band embody chaos, and this record is just further proof as it solidifies that statement. Each track comes full with a heavy hook and spooky vocals that sound like they’re coming directly from a ghoul. With songs like ‘My Obsession’ and ‘Sick Of Me’ it’s not hard to  see these going down amazingly well with a live audience. Table Scraps made another big step with the release of their second album, and I can see it being a very important one. Read the review here. Listen Here

1) The Orielles – ‘Silver Dollar Moment’

Finally the album of the month has to be The Orielles exquisite debut album Silver Dollar Moment. Not only because it’s great record from top to bottom, but because it’s been a long time coming and they’ve delivered without faltering at any stage. The Orielles stay very loyal to the sound that made them so revered by their fans, yet they manipulated their sound in a number of different ways to create a very varied album which is highly enjoyable. For instance songs like ‘Sunflower Seeds’ sounds sunkissed and beautiful, while ‘Borrachero Tree’ has a slightly darker edge to it – but it has that Orielles lo-fi indie garage disco sound (if there’s such a genre). Can honestly see this being in contention for album of the year in December, so it had to be number one this month. Full Review Here.  Listen Here

That concludes this months Top 5 Albums, would love to know your thoughts so please leave a comment below!

Words by Alex Wise @AJWise – @Wordsformusic1

Album Review | Table Scraps – ‘Autonomy’

Table Scraps are a band that have been on the cusp of something big for quite some time. Since their early releases ‘Bug’ and ‘Electricity’ , which led them to their debut album More Time For Strangers. This was a rather successful release, gaining some great reviews from The Line of Best Fit and Louder Than War, as it had a raw edge to it which was combined with a very loud and abrasive approach. However as good as that album was, it sometimes takes several good releases to earn a great reputation, which is what Autonomy will do.

The album sees the band play to their strengths and once again return to those animalistic hooks along with those mind-thumping drum parts.  The album opens up with the leading single from the album ‘Sick of Me’ which has these really straight guitars combined with these Strokes-like Lo-Fi vocals, as they sound extremely muffled which add to the texture of the song. The solo on the track is also noteworthy, even though it does only last for a short time it’s still great hearing it.

It continues with this tone throughout the album, as these fast paced tracks just seem to roll by while causing a riot along the way. The evil sounding hook on the following song ‘Always Right’ sounds so sinister, it’s perfect. ‘I’m a Failure’ has certain anthemic feel to it, as you could easily hear a crowd shouting the line “I’m a Failure” straight back at the band at a live performance.

There’s definitely a punk streak running through this album as a lot of the songs come under the 3 minute line, with ‘Lyin’ Thru Yer Teeth’ and ‘Frankenstein’ falling under the 2 minute mark. However this factor doesn’t harm the overall product in the slightest, as ‘Lyin’ Thru Yer Teeth’ is one of the highlights of the album, purely because of the punky hookline that could easily cause a riot.

The vocal work is something that is consistant throughout the entire record, as it sounds like they’re trapped and isoloted-only adding to the haunting essence that band carry off so well.

‘Treat Me Like Shit’ is another standout performer on the album, as once again the sound of the guitar along with the hook mesh so well together with the vocals-achieving that trademark Table Scraps sound. You also have this cool element in the background which sounds like a satellite going out of control adding depth to the track.

The record finishes off with ‘Do It All Over Again’ which could be seen as a message to go ahead and play the record from the very start. Even though it’s not the heaviest track on the album, it’s increasingly catchy with a lo-fi tinge. Table Scraps manage to walk across several genres witout it sounding contrived, it seems they’ve unearthed this original sound that’s exclusive to them and it’s very natural. Yes there are bands that sound somewhat similar, however combined with the vocals it gives them a completly different energy.

This album is another convincing argument to why Table Scraps are so damn good, to do it over two albums is impressive and should be recognised. The band firmly have a unique sound and know the lengths that they can go to with it, which will be interesting to see where else they can take it. Their music is so in your face and carefree, it’s not hard to understand why their gigs can be so hectic. It’s another great outing for Table Scraps, one that will definitely gain them even more well deserved recognition. Onwards and Upwards!

8/10

Words by Alex Wise @AJWise