Monolith Cocktail Blog

GRAHAM DOMAIN’S REVIEW ROUNDUP COLUMN

:ALBUMS:

TACHYCARDIE ‘Autonomie Minerale’
(Un-je-ne-sais-quoi)

This is the third album in a trilogy of ambient sound-art works by French composer Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy. Consisting of seven pieces of strange, dark, tribal, alien ambient dissonance and warm unnatural half-light!

In the first piece, ‘Parties sud puis nord’, tribal drums and hyper percussion are intermittently infiltrated by reverberating clangs and deep disturbed atmospheric noise. It is a strangely compelling listen! Although if listened to by those of a disturbed mind it may likely trigger psychosis, one-legged

Russian dancing or paper moon madness!

In ‘Gris de haute pression’ tribal drums and hypnotic looped bells hang in the air. The sound of a mast creaking on a ghost ship is heard as the vessel nears a bleak volcanic island. A lone sea birds’ cry echoes across the dark looming cliffs! The mind retreats, the darkness falling over crumbling dreams and burying hope in the inky blackness!

The best piece is perhaps ‘Collision au sens strict’ – Throbbing alien dissonance reverberates across a dead ocean as metal insects scurry across the coffin-like box you wake up in! Disturbing and exhilarating!

The composer explains what we all had guessed: ‘This piece resulted from…the mechanical oscillation of a stone that is hit…and the electronic oscillation of a home-made synthesiser…no one can tell where synthesis starts and sonic naturalism ends.’

You will not find another album like this. It will penetrate your dreams bringing raptures of nightmare terror, joyous pain and nerve scraping pleasure. As the stones with eyes move closer, watching, surrounding your house, you may never ‘escape into night’ or feel at ease again!

CHRIS PLUM ‘The Small Hours’
(Self-Released)

The new album from Detroit indie veteran Chris Plum (Brendan Benson, Mood Elevator) is an album inspired by jazz ballads from the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s but with a modern twist! The band put together from musician friends consists of piano, double bass, brushed drums, guitar, brass and woodwind. All the songs are self-penned originals filled with humour and observation and are memorable after only a couple of plays.

‘The Executive’ reminds me of a song that Elvis Costello could have written, when he has occasionally written in a similar jazz ballad vein. But, the standout track for me is ‘No More Heartache’ – which musically shares common ground with early Tom Waits!

It is obviously a labour of love for Chris so good luck to him for following his muse regardless of commercial considerations.

::SINGLES/EPS::

The Early Mornings ‘Ultra Modern Rain’ (EP)
(Practise Music/Rough Trade)

This is the second excellent EP by Manchester 3-piece The Early Mornings and features 5 tracks of spiky post rock no wave – sharing DNA with the likes of Wetleg, the Breeders, The Fall, and The Raincoats.

It is an exhilarating ride of moody bass lines, spikey guitar, distorted chords and garage drums with vocals by Annie Leader.

Standout tracks: ‘First Words’, ‘Ultra-Modern Rain’, ‘Loves Not Hard’.

The Neon Kittens ‘Frozen Peas’
(Metal Postcard Records)

Taken from the debut album No Drugs Required this is a slab of post pandemic madness – a release from the confines of drudgery -, sounding like a cross between early Gang of Four, the Scars and a Felix the Cat cartoon, bounds along like a gazelle chasing a bus! A superb single, unlike anything else around today!

Flipside ‘FriendZone’ sounds like the music from South Park – Terence and Philip doing a mad dance while the corpse of Kenny looks on as Cartman ‘charms’ a new girl-friend! Brilliant!

Fuz ‘First Light’
(Menace Records)

‘First Light’ is the excellent debut single by French duo Fuz. Laid-back soulful vibe, indie post-rock with interesting low-key melodies from the guitar and keyboard duo. It has echoes of mid 70’s bands like Steely Dan or Johnny Green and the Greenmen (‘Seven over from Mars’)! One to play on late night radio shows like ‘Nobody’s Listening Not Even My Mum’!

No(w) Beauty ‘The Art of Four’
(Menace Records)

‘The Art of Four’ is the exceptional new single from four-piece French jazz men No(w) Beauty. The instrumental is propelled along by hip-hop style drums and bass where the piano and trumpet alternate between melody and melodic soloing! Love it! A full album follows on February 24^th.

Complete Mountain Almanac ‘February’
(Bella Union)

The second single from Neo-Folk duo Complete Mountain Almanac is a stunningly beautiful song contrasting the effects of climate change on the planet with the effects of breast cancer on the body. The collaboration is between exceptional singer and musician Rebekka Karijord and poet and lyricist

Jessica Dessner (who developed the cancer). The duo are joined by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. Their self-titled Debut Album is out Now!

Rigolo ‘If’
(Antropotopia)

The new single by Italian alt-pop group Rigolo builds on an indie post-rock vibe but what makes them sound unique (to these ears) is an electric cello played upfront to carry the melody pre-vocals! It seems to be a song about self-discovery and working out your true place in the world. Sung in English the song acquires an air of irony and humour, which I’m not sure is intentional (and occasionally reminds of Einar from the Sugarcubes)! The song is fairly inoffensive pop music despite using the F word a few times. I expect they are the equivalent of The Beautiful South in their own country with their dual boy/girl combined and alternating lead vocals.

New Album Aliante is out now!