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Day: 3 April 2015

Album: Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

Asthmatic Kitty

Released 31st March

9/10

I’m told that there’s a 96 per cent chance that Sufjan Stevens is the favourite contemporary pop-artist of any self-appointed ‘music connoisseur’. His records, shaped around both his Christian faith and his struggle with his own sexuality, have ranged from traditional folk to more eccentric, experimental and glitchy soundscapes, and have all been received to universal acclaim.

His new offering, Carrie & Lowell (named after his late mother and stepfather), sees a return to the minimalistic folk of his first albums. Banjos are back; not with a bang, but rather with a gorgeously weighted presence that is instantly recognizable as classic Stevens. All of this is done whilst still keeping a slight influence from his recent electronica-tinged ventures, and the result is nothing short of marvellous.

The recent passing of his mother, with whom he shared a complex relationship, is the main theme of the album; the breezy, light melodies and fingerpicked guitars blanketed by devastatingly personal lyrics. ‘Should have known better’ sees Stevens remembering: “When I was three, three maybe four, she left us at that video store,” while ‘All of me wants all of you’ borders on uncomfortable voyeurism: “You checked your texts while I masturbated.”

Still, the paradoxically upbeat and mellow arrangements save the album from descending into the muddy ensemble of self-pity and depression it could easily have been. Even when he sings “We’re all gonna die” on the piano-driven coda of ‘4th of July’, it’s far from being an unsubtle ode to nihilism, but rather a wakeup call reminding us all of the importance of making the most of life.

Carrie & Lowell is, in many ways, far from the most ambitious record than Stevens’ has produced; the songs can be quite repetitive, and the arrangements are never as eclectic as those on his recent albums. However, it’s hard to argue against the quality of the songs here; stripped down to the barest of bones, they deliver a packed punch of raw, sometimes unsettling emotions. Music-connoisseurs be reassured; this is the best record made (so far) by one of the better pop artists of our time.

Album: Drenge – Undertow

Infectious Music

Released: 6th April

8/10

Drenge set the bar high with their eponymous 2013 debut, and for brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless one of the biggest tests of their careers was always bound to be the follow up album. With Undertow, Drenge have graduated from the initial frenzy that surrounded their emergence whilst retaining what made them so exciting to begin with.

Undertow opens with a seamless transition between two tracks, ‘Introduction,’ and ‘Running Wild.’ An air of anticipation descends throughout the former, with a minimalist, vaguely psychedelic guitar gradually building in a way that feels unlike anything Drenge did on their first album. The music becomes gradually more jagged, and as ‘Running Wild,’ begins the distorted guitar for which they have become so well-known cuts through.

As the album progresses it becomes clear that Drenge have achieved a grander sound on this outing. The visceral punch and aggression of their first album is still present, and most of the songs are definitely identifiable as being by Drenge, but the overall sound feels fuller. Whether this is the result of more developed song writing, better production, or a balance of the two isn’t immediately clear. What is clear, however, is the pleasing diversity of the work, with no songs falling flat or fading into the background.

A familiar menacing streak can be found in the lyrics on Undertow, with lines like “The snake wraps its neck round mine” from the aptly named ‘The Snake’ being highly reminiscent of tracks like nothing from their first album. More often than not, however, the tone of the music gives a sinister spin to less foreboding subjects. Testament to the Loveless brothers’ musical ability, however, is how this contrast with the more tender moments found on pieces like ‘Standing In The Cold’, feels so natural, cementing a maturity and intelligence showcased in their earlier work.

With Undertow Drenge have assuredly dealt with the difficult second album; building on the raw energy that underpinned their first record, and developing into a band capable of making grunge music that isn’t restricted to simplistic and derivative work. This is an album that grabs your attention and demands to be listened to – as you should.

Live: Clean Bandit

11th March 2015

O2 Apollo

7/10

For a group that met as Cambridge undergraduates, world domination was only a matter of time. Unless you lived under a rock over the past year then there’s no way in the world you can’t have heard the monster hit ‘Rather Be’ which won a Grammy for Best Dance Record back in February. Fresh from their recent heroics in LA, Clean Bandit, along with support from Jess Glynne, give a sold out O2 Apollo a genre-defying performance that is full of soul and plenty of violin.

Glynne opens the show with her unique and soulful vocals on ‘Ain’t Got Far To Go’, which is a clean, motown-style, loose piano-led jam that fits superbly with her distinct tones. Her breakout hit ‘My Love’ with Route 94 still sits as the best showcase for her voice, starting out as an acoustic rendition of the song before getting into full swing; you sense her distinct talent will serve her well in the months and years to come.

Warmed up and ready for the main act, Clean Bandit step out to a heavy bass-driven, light-flickering mirage of mystical sounds and sweeping vocals. ‘New Eyes’ comes across as a Hip-Hop trap-style beat and isn’t anything like their commercial sound whatsoever.

Intriguingly, an array of instruments including a minimalist cello and a midi saxophone stand boldly on stage and are brought to life one by one through a diverse range of styles from Drum & Bass (‘Up Again’) to a reggae-influenced summer beat (‘Come Over’) and of course the familiar dance/house grooves we know all too well (‘Real Love’ and ‘Rather Be’).

The diversity in their music is marvellously refreshing and you can tell each band member has come from very different musical backgrounds. From Grace Chatto and Milan Neil Amin-Smith’s training as classical musicians in Cambridge to guest vocalist Elisabeth Troy’s underground/Jungle upbringing in London, the fusion is ambitious and on the whole doesn’t disappoint.

The standout talent in the band is Jack Patterson who sits humbly in the background, going from keyboard to sax to bass guitar throughout the gig and provides that stroke of behind-the-scenes genius every great band has over the course of the two or so hour-long performance.

The group truly leave the best until last in an encore that comprises of a flawless cover of Robin S’s ‘Show Me Love’ and the final song ‘Rather Be’ for which they aptly reintroduce Glynne on stage and finish the night off as strongly as they started it.

Judging by their live show it is undeniable the band have talent in abundance, however it will be interesting to see how this translates commercially in 2015 and how (if even possible) to outdo their immense first single.

Live: Lonely The Brave

10th March

The Ruby Lounge

6/10

When I first arrived at Ruby Lounge I was pretty sure I had turned up on the wrong night, with the majority of the crowd belonging to that “I’m getting old, but I’m still clinging on to my youth” category. With just a handful of what I would have thought their ‘target audience’ would have been (i.e. anyone under 30), I was intrigued to see how this would play out. The band walked out onto stage opening the night with one of their biggest songs ‘Victory Line’, to then be followed by ‘Trick of the Light’.

Lonely the Brave are known for their odd stage layout. This became very apparent immediately with three guys on guitars, whether that was either bass or electric, taking the main front of the stage, which was enjoyable to watch as you could really see that they were enjoying themselves. Introverted vocalist David Jakes did not stray very far from the back, staying in close range of the drums, with his cap and head down for the most of the act.

However this untraditional setup and sheepish persona did not hinder the vocal performance of Jakes, displaying his unique style, incredible talent and wide range whilst beautifully exposing the audience to a great deal of emotion. The band ran smoothly from track to track with great ease, maybe a little too much ease. As there wasn’t a lot of variety in terms of chords, riffs and ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’, as the night went on, it felt like the songs were quite samey and a little bit repetitive.

All in all, The Ruby Lounge was a very fitting venue for the night, making the experience very intimate and personal, and overall very enjoyable.