Album Reviews

EP Review: Cloudkicker – Little Histories

Cloudkicker Little Histories cover
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I’m shocked that I haven’t heard of Cloudkicker until now because it’s exactly the sort of thing I love to listen to. The music is a combination of post-rock, metal and djent – think along the lines of Russian Circles, Dumbsaint and Oceansize.

Then again, in some ways it isn’t all that surprising that I haven’t heard of it.

Cloudkicker is a one man project run by Ben Sharp, someone who has taken the DIY ethic to heart. All his music is self-produced and available on Bandcamp for pay-what-you-want. He doesn’t tour (being a one man band) and he’s not signed to a label. He’s not out to make any money from his project either.

The liner notes for a previous album, The Discovery, say “this album was recorded for a grand total of $0, and is therefore being distributed for free.  if you paid money for this you’re a sucker.” His music is also all filed under Creative Commons license, making it available to whoever, for whatever, for free. One label, Blood Music, took advantage of this by printing physical records of releases that Sharp had neglected to make himself, and Sharp was completely cool with it.

I hadn’t heard about Cloudkicker because there is no promotion for the project. Sharp doesn’t care about profiting from his music so he’s not pushing for publicity.

But now I’ve discovered Cloudkicker and I fell like a magpie in a jewellery shop. I love the music, and I have access to a large back catalogue that I can explore to discover musical gems.

Before I discuss Little Histories, I need to mention the Live with Intronaut album. This live album is one that negates many of the points that I just made about Cloudkicker. Because Cloudkicker is a one-man project, there was never much likelihood of live performances. But Sharp befriended the band Intronaut, who in turn offered up their services to Sharp as the Cloudkicker backing band. It didn’t seem possible at first, but in April 2014 it happened: a live tour and a live recording for those who couldn’t make the shows. The live album was released on Century Media due to contractual  obligations that Intronaut were held to, making it the only Cloudkicker release that isn’t fully DIY or available for free.

Little Histories is the EP that follows, released a month after the live album.

Little Histories transcends from the floaty “Parliment”, to the cosmic “Sky Guide”, that includes vocoder, before getting heavier with “Charmeleon”. “Digital Lightening” sounds sinister and ominous, distorted and washy until the articulate riffing begins. The last track, “Hassan” builds gradually, the tension escalates before the music begins to syncopate and layer up.

“Signal/Noise” is a digital bonus track originally released years ago. It won’t be included on a physical release Sharp is planning. A busy drum tattoo propels the songs as it ascends with guitar swells. The song gets fuzzier and the cymbals wash up as song escalates and the guitars soar.

The EP phases well between songs, there is a deliberate progression throughout. Sharp is a pilot and names many of his song and album titles after plane crashes. Although Little Histories isn’t a concept album as such, I like to think of it as a soundtrack for a flight. The flight is going smoothly, until they hit a storm and have to battle turbulence.

Although Cloudkicker is very much a metal project, there is plenty of variety on offer. There are quieter post-rock moments, and chugging djenty riffs, as well. Cloudkicker covers all sides of the spectrum.

This is one man messing around and self recording at home, but most of the music could pass for live instrumentation. I wouldn’t have been able to pick that he uses a drum machine.

If you like post-rock/metal/djent give Cloudkicker a listen. It won’t cost you anything and if you like it there is an extensive discography for perusal at your pleasure.

Joseph James

EP Review: Solemn Sun – §

Solemn Sun EP Cover
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Don’t ask me how to pronounce this EP title (§). I don’t know if the symbol even makes a sound. It is clever though, two S’s arranged like the new band logo.

A new logo for a new sound. Solemn Sun have previously been known as Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun. Jim hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s just that the band have chosen to undergo a full transformation.

Their two previous albums, Atlases (2010) and Death (2012) channeled a folk-punk vibe that would feature intricate acoustic guitar picking one minute and galloping punk beats the next. § is a departure, stylistically. Gone are the fiddly little break-downs, this is more of a distorted grungy affair.

Opening track “Josef” sends that message straight from the get-go. The drums sound thunderous with washy cymbals and the guitars undulate with intensity. The verses simmer violently to make the choruses sound comparatively more explosive. “Josef” delivers a punch with a message that something new is afoot.

“30:10” is quieter, but it still sounds full and moody. The time signature seems to segue between 4/4 and 6/8 to add an interesting poly rhythmic feel. “Children” and “Ruin” take the EP to its climax with more hard-hitting rock anthems.

Triumphant final track “I Saw” seems like a throwback to the band’s former sound. The drumming alternates between syncopated tribal sounding tom beats and 16th note hi-hat playing.This pulls the momentum back and allows the individual instruments to shine through in different sections. There is a lot of treble in this song, but it ends in plenty of unnecessary squealing feedback.

There are still recognisable nods to the past, and rightly so. The band has a back-catalogue to be proud of, and they can’t dismiss it completely. Although his name is no longer visible, Jim Lockey’s voice is still there to stir up memories. Just as Black Pacific always sounded like Pennywise 2.0 and OFF! sounds just like a fresher Black Flag, singers will always remind you of their most prominent band.

§ is a direct alt-rock assault. The band has adopted the grungy loud/quiet approach and coupled it with ambient post-rock. The songs sound driven because of the no-nonsense drums and bass churning out a steady throbbing beat. And although they are distorted, the layered guitars soar and complement each other well, whilst still retaining a chugging drive. The instruments are all unified to push the song forward.

Ringing in at just under 22 minutes, § provides a short but promising taste of things to come. The old adage goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but I disagree. This is a case of when a band has reinvented themselves and it has paid off.

The EP is available for pay-what-you-want download and streaming on the Solemn Sun Bandcamp page.

EP Review: Paint The Sand – Embers

Paint the Sand Embers EP Cover
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I’m writing this up on a Friday evening after a long week and I can’t think of anything right now that I’d prefer to listen to.

It has been two years since Ben Maurice released his début Where I’ve Been EP under the moniker of Paint The Sand. This third EP, entitled Embers, showcases just how much he has improved over that period.

Paint the Sand stands for all things surfing, summer, beaches and barbecues. I would have been surprised if the album art didn’t relate to a beach or road trip in some way. Sure enough, the cover is a shot of ripples on the sea. It reminds me of Signs of Life, from the church Edge Kingsland

Embers evokes the feeling of huddling round the fire on a cold night. Opener “Flicker” offers the sounds of a match being struck and flames crackling, followed by a sparse reverberating intro.

“Flicker” is in itself an indicator of how far Ben has come. I listened to “Flicker”, and then to “Intro” from his 2012 release. Both are similar: instrumental interludes played on guitar. But the new recording is crisper and Ben has advanced from relying on his prized Baby Taylor acoustic guitar to using an electric guitar with effects that offer new possibilities.

“Embers” is a slow burning track that slowly ebbs and swells. The drumming is basic but does enough to add plenty of depth to the song.

“Stop, Wait, Feel” is the highlight of the EP. It sounds like it has had the most effort put into it. There is some great layering, with backing vocals and guitar harmonizing and piano. Ben has become more confident with his guitar playing and singing to the extent that he even includes a guitar solo

The untitled final track sounds raw and grungy at first, but it pulls back to leave a cappella vocals lingering in the air.

The production sounds good. The extra instruments have added new elements to the music. Using electric guitar has allowed Ben to play with his sound and inject new dynamics into his songwriting. It’s nice to see how far he has progressed over the past two years.

Embers is short , as one would expect from an EP. The three songs and an intro only take 11 minutes to listen to. But after a long week those 11 minutes have done wonders to help me unwind.

Joseph James

EP Review: Moors

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At the start of the year I went to see a film called Short Term 12 about a foster home for troubled teens. One of the standout scenes of the film was when a young man named Marcus raps how he is feeling to one of the carers. Marcus is just shy of turning 18, meaning that he will soon need to leave the home and find his own way in the world.

The scene is transfixing. The lyrics are raw and painfully honest. The camera slowly zooms in on Marcus to focus on the emotion in his face. The bongo beat sets a metronome that cuts out at the song’s climax, making those last a capella lines all the more stark.

Short Term 12 is a great film. Make sure to see it if you haven’t. It’s not Hollywood-happy, but it’s a rewarding watch.

I was thinking about it for days afterward. I decided to look up the actor who played Marcus. He was a talented actor, but surely he was a rapper, too?

Sure enough, the actor’s name was Keith Stanfield, and he had a music project called Moors with a song on vimeo called “Asphyxiated“.

“Asphyxiated” is in the same vein as the Short Term 12 rap. Daunting and unsettling, with minimal instrumentation that builds intensity. The lyrics are turbulent and tortured.

I followed Moors on Soundcloud and Facebook and waited to hear for more.

And now Stanfield has released a debut EP of four songs, plus two remixes. With song titles like “Asphyxiated”, “Gas”, “Fire” and “Smoke” there seems to be a theme of struggling to breathe.

The EP opens with the aforementioned “Asphyxiated”. Second track “Gas” is more upbeat, with sampled female humming and more underlying turmoil.

“Fire” is the most radio friendly track. It’s catchy, quick and repetitive. Like “Gas”, the beat could make it dance track, but I doubt you’ll be hearing this in a club any time soon.

The slow and somber “Smoke” brings the EP down in pace and mood. Although he has done with the other songs, this is when Stanfield really fights his demons. Family, alcohol and racism all feature. The softly sung chorus starts with the line “every silver lining has a black cloud”. Wow. This glass is definitely half empty.

Lyrically, Moors is clever and poetic, but at the same time so dark and depressing it makes me wonder if Stanfield has had a similar life to his orphaned character from Short Term 12. I don’t know if he’s putting on a persona or not, but you can tell there is some hurt that he’s working through

Moors isn’t going to put you in a cheerful mood, it’s pretty emotionally charged. But there’s something that draws you in and keeps you listening. It’s modern rap that focuses on internal issues instead of ego inflation.

Keep an eye out for the name Keith Stanfield. I’ve read that he has been cast to play Snoop Dogg in an upcoming NWA biopic. He is also currently touring with James Vincent McMorrow. With this much talent as both an actor and a rapper, Stanfield is sure to blow up soon.

Joseph James