Album Reviews

Will Not Fade’s Best of 2016

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2016 in review

A lot of celebrities died in 2016. Lemmy, Prince, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and George Michael all got a lot of attention for having passed away. It is sad, but all the people taking to social media to complain about 2016 signalling the apocalypse because of an election and some dead celebrities are idiots. 2016 was awesome. If  those people had chosen to listen to good music and attend great concerts instead of bitching about life on Facebook then maybe they would realise this as well.

Like every other year, 2016 gave us some outstanding musical releases. We were also blessed enough to have many talented bands come to town as well.

CJ had a great year. His band Ranges released a new album and a 7″ single on vinyl, and by the sounds of it had a great time recording and touring. His company A Thousand Arms released a free post-rock compilation called Open Language, and signed a partnership deal as the USA distributor for Belgium based dunk!records as well.

My year was incredibly busy, having finished university and working full-time as a teacher. Thankfully I found the time to fit in the odd review here and there, and was even asked to contribute to an Arctic Drones write-up! I’ve made some great contacts this year, which leads me to think that I may have some exciting doors opened for me in the future.

And we welcomed Murray to the team this year. He already has his own site, Relative Silence, but we connected over a mutual love of many prog-rock and post-rock bands so he was more than happy to contribute to Will Not Fade.

Best Live Act

After much deliberation, I’ve decided that Iron Maiden are the best live act I’ve seen. The stage set up, the theatrics, the musicianship and the brilliant songs all proved why Maiden have sustained such longevity.

It was a great way to start a bogan weekend, followed by Black Sabbath the following night in Dunedin, and Shihad after lunch in Wellington on Sunday.

Other incredible acts that stood out this year include Sufjan Stevens, Thundercat, Tortoise, Strung Out, Into. It Over It. and local heroes Jakob and Into Orbit.

 

Best Night Out

My friends all thank me for making them come and see The Beards play Bodega during their farewell tour. They only have one joke, but the joke remains funny.

Steel Panther was another comedy rock act that put on a fun show, albeit far more crass.

 

Best Album

There have been some strong releases this year. My favourite band Biffy Clyro gave us album number seven, and Run The Jewels and Nine Inch Nails have even dropped new content in the past week.

But I cannot stop listening to the new Into It. Over It. album, Standards. Evan Weiss went to a remote cabin in the woods with drummer Josh Sparks and the two of them messed around with sounds and effects and somehow it turned into this masterpiece. I even flew to Melbourne to see Weiss play in October [review] and it filled me with such joy to meet him and see him play. It’s an easy choice for me, ranking Standards in top position this year.

Best Personal Discovery

Technically they are not 2016 releases, but Julien Baker’s Sprained Ankle and Winter Dust’s Thresholds were two absolutely stunning releases that I discovered this year. Both have been on high rotate ever since I first heard them.

I also discovered Australian prog-rock act Cog this year. I was raving about The Occupants when they released their début EP last year, so it stands to reason that the band that spawned them would also be incredible.

2017

And as for the year ahead? I’m super excited to see Alexisonfire and Living Colour playing in Auckland next year, and am working on plans to attend the inaugural dunk!USA  post-rock festival in Vermont in October.

David Dallas previewed some new tracks when I saw him play at Victoria University during O-Week, and Solemn Sun dropped a new single “Bloom”, so I look forward to new albums from both acts. And of course the new Tool album is due… possibly… sometime in the next decade… maybe?

Thanks

It is hard finding the time to write and update this site, so big thanks to CJ and Murray for also contributing reviews and for both being a vital part of the Will Not Fade team.

Thanks to all the bands, labels and promoters who sent us music to review, arranged press passes to attend gigs or helped to set up interviews. It is humbling that people value my opinion enough to read what I have to say about music.

And thanks to you, the readers. Feel free to give me feedback about what you like, dislike, or would like to see more of.

Here’s to an even better 2017!

Joseph James

Album Review: Emeli Sandé – Long Live The Angels

Emeli Sande Long Live The Angels
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Emeli Sandé – Long Live The Angels

I first became aware of Emeli Sandé when my younger sister sang her hit single “Next To Me” at my grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary ceremony. I was taken by the power of it, so made it my business to seek out the original artist. Turns out that Sandé was a pretty big deal – beating chart records set by The Beatles and boosting the biggest selling record of 2012. Four years later, Sandé has released her follow up album, Long Live The Angels.

Long Live The Angels is explores Sandé’s identity. Her half-Zambian, half-Scottish heritage, her failed marriage and strained relationships, her aspirations and desires realised since she dropped her medical studies to pursue a music career. Here is someone who reached such great heights with her début album, but lost herself in the process. Long Live The Angels is the story of a powerful singer desperately climbing back up to her former throne.

“Selah” starts the album with a powerful tone. Sandé shows off her gorgeous voice by reducing the instrumentation to a minimum, and instead using the service of a goosebump-inducing choir to add ambiance to her poetic singing. The gospel overtones continue with the uplifting first single “Breathing Underwater” – a euphoric victory cry in ballad form.

I love the production on this album. Everything feels very deliberate. By reducing the amount of instruments in each song, Sandé has more space to let her voice take center stage. Take for example “Sweet Architect”. It’s just piano and vocals, with choral harmonies and organ used to add depth towards the end. But it makes an impact.

In “Happen” we feel Sandé’s despair and loss, until a guitar chimes in – almost squealing – and Sandé answers defiantly. “Hurts” adds urgency with a fast hand-clapped beat and brass section.  Lovely acoustic guitar number “Give Me Something”, however, feels more simple, yet effective.

The album takes a sharp turn half way through, with a more contemporary pop approach. Jay Electronica lays down some rapping for a verse in “Garden”, and the next track “I’d Rather Not” features hip-hop drumming. The two songs don’t fit well within the context of the rest of the album. Compared to the more soulful other songs, these more urban tracks feels forced – with “Garden” in particular clearly manufactured with the intention of becoming a hit. Album closer “Babe” and a few of the bonus tracks come close to straying into this territory as well.

Not to let these urban intrusions derail the album, Sandé saves one of the best tracks for later – the feel good family affair “Tenderly” – a nod to her Zambian heritage. From here on in the mood feels lighter and more carefree. Using her voice to convey emotion and gravitas works, but injecting fun energy into tracks like “Highs and Lows” is simply more enjoyable.

Long Live The Angels feels emotionally raw, covering the entire spectrum from desperation to elation. Sandé uses the album as her phoenix fire, emerging from heartbreak and loss to rise stronger than before. The production is stunning, but not nearly as impressive as her voice.

Simple, effective, and emotional: Long Live The Angels is a defiant statement from a talented singer claiming back her stake in the music industry

Joseph James

Album Review: Shaman Elephant – Crystals

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They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but just one look at the album art of Shaman Elephant’s Crystals should give you a fair indication of what kind of music you’ll find within.

The rollicking grooves in the title track had me head banging within the first few minutes of listening. Glorious, glorious riffing! Shaman Elephant are here to rock! Just listen to it. Outstanding. Vocalist Eirik Sejersted Vognstølen has a very 70’s throwback style of singing that reminds me of Wolfmother at times. Not that I’m calling Shaman Elephant clichéd, but it is fairly obvious where their influences lie. The keyboards are welcome – something that I don’t hear much of within the confines of my usual listening tastes – and the fuzzy guitars are brilliant – taking me back to the haze of seeing guitarists like Slash and Gary Clark Jr in concert.

“Shaman in the Woods” – centered around a busy riff that lasts the full bar – is very pretty, but bores compared to the more urgent “I.A.B”, which has a delightfully filthy bass tone, distorted guitars and wild singing. The song is saturated in effects that add vibrant texture. I want more of this driven Deep Purple feel!

“Tusco” is an instrumental track, sensitively based around introspective jazz playing on the keys. The song slowly gains momentum as guitar and drums cautiously enter the conversation and lightly dance around. Ironically, following track “The Jazz”, isn’t nearly as jazzy, but in fact feels very sludgy, bordering on doom-metal at times. Great tracks, both.

At 12.33 minutes, “Stoned Conceptions” wraps up this album stunningly. At times plodding along lazily, and then suddenly letting loose – full noise. It coaxes you into a lulled state before wailing into your faces with the fury of a hurricane.

Crystals is a sprawling, epic mess that comes together magically. Prog-rock is often convoluted by nature. In this case the psychedelic overtones add even more confusion to the mix. But what a glorious mix it is! Somehow, we have both extreme variety and cohesiveness all in one. If you want a great Woodstock-era throwback then make Shaman Elephant your next port of call.

shaman elephant Crystals

Shaman Elephant links:

Pre-order: http://shop.karismarecords.no
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shamanelephant
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/shaman-elephant
Label: http://www.karismarecords.no

EP Review: 10 Waves Of You – Sail

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Album Review: 10 Waves Of You – Sail

The soft sounds of the tide lapping against the shore greets us at the start of this album. Hardly surprising, with an album entitled Sail. While 10WOY’s 2015 album Fields Of Venus was a collection of space sounds, this album is unmistakably naval inspired.

Hailing from Vigevano, Italy, 10 Waves Of You is the solo project of Luca Crivellaro. It seems that I listen to as many one-man projects as I do full bands these days, and I can’t help but be impressed at the sheer skill and versatility that artists like Crivellaro exhibit.

Reminiscent of relaxing on a sailboat, this is music to have when you have nothing better to do than lie back and soak up some rays. “Sail” is the smooth neo-classical piano led introduction, and “South West Wind” contains more body. Soft piano playing upon gentle swells sets the relaxing mood. Some nice delayed guitar adds complexity whilst keeping it calm. The drumming is tight, with a short echoing tail.

10 Waves Of You Sail Will Not Fade

“Sunburst” ups the ante – ever so slightly – with more over driven crescendos and crashing cymbals – and “Round Window” follows suit by bringing in more rock components. The end of the last track almost sounds like whale song, with the slow whining sounds made by guitars.

Part of the attractiveness of this release is the deceptive simplicity of it all. It builds ever so slowly across all four tracks, but without resorting to crescendocore clichés. Delicate waves pile atop each other, slowly bringing in a tide of relaxing atmosphere. Contrary to the more aggressive and unnatural previous album Fields of Venus, Waves is calming and just floats along with tranquil excellence.

It is clear that Crivellaro has placed careful thought upon which tones to use to recreate the sounds in his head. Silky pads set the mood, high-pitched strings politely ask for your attention, and tight percussion binds the songs together. The sounds all layer and marry beautifully, inviting you to feel warm sunlight on your arms, taste salt spray on your lips and hear the distant cry of circling seabirds.

Clocking in at just less than 20 minutes, this album offers a small taste of lush textural brilliance. Serene and evocative, I can imagine it as the perfect soundtrack for a calm day on the sea. Crivellaro joins the ranks of incredible multi-instrumentalists who can single-handedly bring the music in their heads to life, and I thank him for it. Waves is one ambient work worth taking note of.

10 Waves Of You Links:

  1. Bandcamp
  2. Twitter
  3. Facebook
  4. SoundCloud
  5. Website
  6. Spotify

 

Joseph James

Album Review: Blueneck – The Outpost

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I fell in love with Blueneck as soon as I heard them. I heard their song “Man Of Lies” when I was listening through the mammoth Post Engineering compilation that came out last year. That was it – I was hooked. I looked up Blueneck’s Bandcamp page and purchased their catalogue.

The Outpost (Denovali Records) is Blueneck’s sixth studio album, and latest since 2014’s King Nine. It is also well worth a listen.

The Outpost was first planned as a side-project from singer-songwriter Duncan Attwood and guitarist
Rich Sadler, before it became truely realised as a full Blueneck release. How did the two of them come up with such an expansive sound? Herein lies some of the wonders of digital instruments. And although I usually prefer “real” instruments above their electronic counterparts, I must admit that Blueneck do a stellar job. Everything works together in cohesion to complement each part that makes up the ambient soundscape.

I’d appreciate slightly less autotuning, but Duncan Attwood’s vocals are standout and enhance the tender ballads dramatically.  He borders on whispering at times, just loud enough for you to hear the hurt. His melancholy is almost tangible in “Hypnos”.

Image: Stewart Black Photography

Image: Stewart Black Photography

Opening track “From Beyond” features a drum track that reminds me of Phil Collins’ signature hit “In The Air Tonight”. Like in Collins’ song, the drum track helps to build suspense as we escalate into a climax. The song slowly transforms into a synthetic, industrial feeling track, with autotuned vocals, heavy reverb and a tortured screaming crescendo. This well-crafted masterpiece sets the tone for the album beautifully.

Next up is lead single “Ghosts”. It takes me back to when I first heard “Man Of Lies” and reminds me of why I first fell in love with Blueneck. Like “From Beyond”, this track just gets better as it progresses. The catchy chanted bridge leads into a gorgeous high-pitched guitar riff, before dynamically reverting back to the sparse piano mantra that first tied the song together.

An underlying tension boils beneath many of these tracks, coated with an ethereal glossy veneer. I love how Blueneck walk the line so well – balancing the calm solemnity with the awesome distorted moments. One great example is the during the spacious bridge in “The White Ship” that leaves us hanging. It’s so empty, but full of promise, because you know that this ambient segment is going to end with something huge.

We hear everything you’d expect to hear from most major post-rock releases: swirling riffs, big swells, crashing crescendos. There’s great guitar playing and brilliant drumming, as well as the haunting vocals which are rare to find within this genre. But somehow this album seems to pack more than the sum of its parts. Something is immediately enticing and accessible, despite the depressing nature of the lyrics, and the longer playtimes of half the tracks.

The Outpost is an incredibly moody album. There is such stunning beauty in the music, topped with Attwood’s mournful vocals. If you like eerie post-rock drawing on electronica and saturated in feeling then I suggest you give Blueneck a listen.

The Outpost is out via Denovali Records on 25 November

Links:

Bandcamp

Facebook

Twitter

Denovali Records

 

Joseph James