It’s been a whole year but finally the recording of the Public Service Broadcasting love letter to the BBC performed at the Proms has been released. 

This New Noise encapsulates all that is so brilliant about this band – The imagination, the story telling and, in this case, seamlessly adding an 80 piece orchestra to the mix.

 

A lot of bands add strings to their songs, but this is a whole new level of sound and is done to absolute perfection. The orchestration makes everything sound so huge and heroic without overshadowing the band at the centre of it. 

 

It’s not a long album (50mins) and need to be heard as a whole rather than as individual tracks. It’s a more sedate, grandiose statement than previous albums and there’s not a Blue Heaven or Gagarin to get your feet twitching but it’s no worse for that.

 

Highlights include the bombastic This New Noise, the terribly British sample at the beginning of Broadcasting House and the 9 minute epic of The Microphone which even includes some of Lit Up from the debut album.

 

The inclusion of Seth Lakeman to provide vocals on the A Cello Sings in Daventry is an interesting interlude that adds some variety among the samples (which as always on a PSB album are impeccable in their context and use).

 

I remember watching the Prom and hoping it would be recorded and thankfully they did an amazing job with it. Need to get myself a vinyl copy of this as soon as possible.

 

 If you decide to give this album a try, it will probably be the strangest thing you hear this year

Fractured Whole is by an American musician Megan Mitchell, going by the name of Cruel Diagonals.

The thing to understand is the whole album is a collage of sampled sounds of her voice, all electronically distorted, stretched and twisted. There are no other instruments to be heard which at times is difficult to get your head round

Opening track, Penance, is like a Latin mass being conducted in a warehouse full of synthesizers which are being tested to make sure they still work.

Full of unsettling electronic soundscapes topped with the wordless soprano type voice it has the feel of an aural art installation rather than a musical album

It’s a challenging listen and depending on how Avant Garde you like your art; it is likely to be a step too far for many. However, considering what they have achieved and how it was constructed you have to admire the courage it takes to attempt something this daring.

 We now come to an early front runner for album of the year. Black Bay is the album from the collective band of musicians know as Silver Moth.

It’s very likely that due to the circumstances surrounding its creation (a global pandemic, enforced isolation) this will be a one off.

Just six songs long the album showcases a very talented band of musicians who each bring a flavour of their own band/solo work to the table but still construct something special to this band.

From the 15 minute epic of Hello Doom full of slow burning post rock chaos and guitar feedback to the almost spiritual Gaelic Psalm and its poetry reading to the beautiful female vocals on The Eternal this is a special album.

The opening track Henry is full of chiming guitars and ethereal voices with a building wall of noise that fully takes off before drifting back to earth.

Bella Union also deserve praise for a superbly packaged album, I’ve got the clear vinyl and even the sleeve with the artwork is stunning

Chances are it will take something special in the rest of 2023 to top this album 

 I don’t normally review EP’s but its Midas Fall so of course I want to.

Covers albums tend to be space fillers or an indication that a band is running low on inspiration. In this case I would suggest a three track EP is the former and calling it Cover Songs suggests the latter.  

The choice of cover song normally falls into one of three categories – The obvious, the left field choice and the obscure. In this case we get one of each.

First up is the left field choice of Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen. Slowed downed and full of twinkling keys, the vocals are full of restrained defiance. (there’s even a guitar that sounds suspiciously like it was lifted from Boys of Summer) Overall I’d say it was a successful cover.                                                     

I’m not a Radiohead fan and Creep has been done too many times by too many artists. Here it starts at absolute walking pace before at least getting a bit interesting when the big drums kick in. The vocals are impeccable though as they swoop and soar but as a song not for me.

Finally a more obscure tune in the form of Every You, Every Me from Placebo. In terms of the Midas Fall post rock musical template this is the closest fit and the slightly menacing atmosphere works really well. My favourite of the three.

As with all covers album your enjoyment will depend on your love of either the band or the original material but as a stop gap this EP al least warrants more a than a cursory listen  

 

 The number of new releases is beginning to rise so time to crack on with some more reviews

Anno 1696 is the ninth (!) studio album from Insomnium and is probably my favourite since Shadows of the Dying Sun back in 2014

At just 8 tracks and 50 minutes long there isn’t an ounce of filler on the album and is based on a short story written by the singer (though if you weren’t told or looking at the lyrics may not be obvious)

The opening track 1696, is unusually for Insomnium, not an instrumental and has some of the most ferocious drumming I’ve heard from them.

There follow two tracks with two contrasting guest vocalists and highlights the strength of the band perfectly

White Christ features Sakis Tolis from Greek black metal legends Rotting Christ and is suitably dark in terms of vocals and lyrics though of a slower pace than expected.

The next song, Godforsaken, starts with the clear folk like vocals of Johanna Kurkela (who I last heard singing about Scrooge McDuck) before musically hitting it stride showing what Insomnium do so well – mixing the melodic guitars with the brutal vocals and drumming and quieter reflective passages.

Overall, there is a bit more of a blackened edge than recent releases and a dash more folk metal but in the end this is just a really good album of the genre.

Petrichor is the second album in for The Lost Trades.

Clearly not suffering from second album syndrome, this is again another gorgeous collection of vocal harmonies backed by acoustics

There may be a more American West Coast feel rather than English Folk this time round but that’s not a bad thing.

Already Keep My Feet Dry may be my favourite track of theirs. The emotional weight of the song with some stunning vocal work make it’s very special.

Possibly the album is too front loaded with big emotional songs about loss and longing (Old Man of the Sea, Keep my Feet Dry and Long Since Gone) but then you get the change of pace and the joyful Daffodils.

A simple song about friendship and guaranteed to make you smile, Daffodils also deserves extra bonus for managing to include ‘devil’s avocado’ in the lyrics. 

The almost acapella Valhalla closes the album and is a great showcase again for the band’s harmonies – Amazing what you can do with just three singers, each which their own distinct voice.

So looking forward to see them in concert again soon 

 Must be time to start on some new reviews….

First up is Lost Animals, a mini album (six songs) from Jenny Colquitt.

I not a great fan of the singer/songwriter description as nowadays it’s used lazily to describe anyone who picks up a guitar or plays piano.  There’s a very Classic Rock feel to this album, maybe even a hint of Heart or Alannah Myles (circa Rockinghorse)!

Opening track, I’m Just Lost, starts out as a piano led power ballad but at just under 2 minutes the pace changes dramatically. From there the track thunders along with that gorgeous, powerful voice soaring over the top.

Open Pages repeats the trick of starting slowly but this time the song builds and builds to full throated crescendo before bringing the song gently to a close.

Paradise is the big old school power ballad you thought you were getting earlier, while Soldier of the Modern Day beautifully conveys the struggles of life without being mawkish about it

The album may be short but that means there no filler to distract from some truly stunning vocals which are the star of the show

Great way to start a new year of new music