Allo Darlin' -Allo Darlin' - Publlished here - http://www.southsonic.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=381&Itemid=73

The debut album from Allo Darlin’ gives off a delightful and somewhat innocent sound to summer 2010.



The first track from this album holds an upbeat rhythm comparable to songs by The Drums and therefore a summery sound is created; the irony is that the song actually appears to be about winter. Elizabeth and Paul’s voices work well together and in Paul’s case fashions an 80s sound.



The lyrics from Elizabeth possess a great deal of truth and with it bring a feeling of innocence. Certainly in ‘The Polaroid Song’, where she is simply telling us about old times, taking Polaroid photos and dancing on her own. When combined, this gives an image of young love in older days. The music does nothing to hinder the overall summery feel and with the inclusion of a sprightly played flute jumping in this is a very chirp song.



‘Kiss Your Lips’ once again is a song which resolves around truth and innocence. Especially with lines like, “I kissed you lips and they were kinda salty” and reminiscing about being on a ferris wheel and singing Weezer songs. This is once again a very summery song and with the rhythm and guitar it does bring a thought to the mind about Noah and the Whale.



Alongside having the summer songs Allo’ Darlin create a fantastic love song with ‘Heartbeat Chilli’. With the honesty of the lyrics and by singing about something as simple as making dinner, they have managed to make it relatable to love. The final line of this song just sums it all up wonderfully – “I adore you; give your heart to me” – a real strong sense of innocent love.



‘If Loneliness Was an Art’ begins with a bouncy bass line creating a slightly different sound from the previous songs. The song gradually picks up the summer feeling with a few “La’s” towards the end, keeping spirits up.



The final song, ‘What Will Be Will Be’ is a cute rendition of ‘Que Sera’. Elizabeth’s voice fits this song perfectly and with Paul’s company creates a modern twist to this timeless classic.



Overall, a fantastic collection of innocent summery songs complimented by the voices of Elizabeth and Paul.



Rating: 4.5/5

Review by Craig Thomas

The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car EP - Published on www.southsonic.co.uk

The Twilight Sad return with another powerful and vocally striking couple of songs with some edgy remixes to go with.



Fans of The Twilight Sad will be familiar with the authoritative voice of vocalist James Alexander Graham and he once again does not disappoint as the vocals immediately stand out upon first listen to ‘The Wrong Car’. The song gradually builds into slow yet explosive drumming which when combined with the vocals hits you hard. This seems to indicate the Scottish roots and influence in the band.



‘Throw Yourself into the Water Again’: with the title of this song opening many questions as to what the song could be about, the words follow the same pattern - especially with lyrics like “dancing over your grave”. Once again the power of the drums and vocals combined is a big stand out element of the song and mixed with the guitar gives an overwhelming muscular feel.



‘The Room’ is a song that has been beautifully remixed by Mogwai with more of a synth sound created. The electro drum pads don’t give off the same power with the vocals, however with the synths, James’ voice is allowed to be the main listening point. The remix has a great flow to it and the dragging synths just add to the overall melancholic feel of the song.



The final song included on the EP is a remix of ‘Reflections of the Television’ done by Errors. The original version of this song is very atmospheric and the remix it does slightly lose that. However, Errors have created a livelier song with some energetic synth and electronic sounds. Due to the power of James’ voice nothing is lost with the vocals and it’s quite surprising how well his voice sounds over the Errors electronics. This song is the stand out from the new EP, simply down to its originality and creativity.



It is very easy to categorise The Twilight Sad with the likes of Frightened Rabbit or Biffy Clyro due to their Scottish routes and powerful Scottish accents. However, The Twilight Sad have added a darker twist to their highland music.



Rating: 4/5

(Errors Remix 5 out of 5)




Review by Craig Thomas

Stilje Nes - Crystals - Posted on www.southsonic.co.uk

A very peaceful and tranquil sounding new single from Stilje Nes, the singer-songwriter from Norway.



It seems there are many talented artists coming from Scandinavia lately and Stilje Nes joins that group. Her music is recorded in loops as she performs by using several different instruments. The combination of Stilje’s enchanting voice and her exquisite mix of instruments, including a looped viola, combine superbly to create a captivating and almost fairytale soundtrack.



Stilje has a voice comparable to the likes of Feist; however it holds a much more delicate feel, more comparable to the likes of Lisa Hannigan’s music.



Stilje also includes a twinkly musical backdrop and the soft gentle flow of the song as it flutters by you is complimented with each chorus as they merely add to the songs rhythm, instead of rocking it. Just as the song seems to be building into an upsurge of intensity it gradually ceases each instrument in time, halting as the song lapses out.



A pleasant new single from Stilje Nes, offering something to lose yourself in. Let the imagination take you where the music does.



Rating: 4/5

Review by Craig Thomas

The Drums Sefl Titled debut album review - Published at www.southsonic.co.uk

There has been a lot of hype surrounding The Drums since we first heard their debut single ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ as well as them receiving the Philip Hall Radar award from NME.



On initial listen to their debut album, it is very hard to find a flaw and being released in the summer the music seems perfect, as if wrote for the season. On further listens however, it all seems just too repetitive. The guitar offers a lively jangly rhythm but it seems to be followed throughout the whole album.



Despite the repetitive rhythm some songs do still stand out. ‘Let’s Go Surfing’, despite being around for a while now, is definitely an example of one of these songs and one that most people are familiar with because of bands’ debut EP. From the whistling to the jangly guitar riffs, it still offers that summer vibe and is something everyone can sing along to on the summer dance floors.



‘Best Friend’ is another song from the original EP which still jumps out, offering some lively electronic sounds to get bodies moving. The song loses the repetitive guitar for some bouncy, jumpy electro beats.



The vocals from Jonathon Pierce really shine through in ‘The Future’ – the last song on the album. The power of his voice really stands out in this song and mixes in good health with the twinkly music. The vocals in this track could well be associated with some of the ballad style songs of the 80s.



A song that draws you in after more than one listen is ‘Forever and Ever Amen’, instead of just relying on catchy, bright sounds, this one seems to go further - even offering some 80s style synth. This song goes deeper than the music with its lyrics, which are strikingly about love - something that may not be associated with The Drums and their style of music but this song is a real stand out from the album.



The debut album from The Drums does become a bit repetitive with the continuous guitar riffs repeated throughout in most songs. On the whole though, this album is perfect for summer lovers as it offers the whole package - a great soundtrack for those who enjoy light, fun and happy songs.



Rating: 3/5

Review by Craig Thomas

Young Rebel Set - Lennons Southampton 17th April

The seven piece band from Stockton-on-Tees stepped up onto a very small stage barely leaving a single member with any room to move.



The immediate thing that was striking about this band besides the seven of them stood up on stage was the voice of their lead singer. He has a strong voice and sung with his northern accent, creating a similar voice to that of Liam Fray.



Their music was definitely lively and offered a folk feel, which naturally led to a lively crowd bobbing up and down to the bouncy bass lines to songs such as ‘Rosie’. The folk influences that the band have shone through in this song and scratchy sounds of the acoustic guitar that were played in sync with the bass and mandolin made it stand out.



As well as creating bouncy lively songs with punchy drumming these young rebels have the ability to create a song with a much more meaningful edge to it. ‘I won’t get up again’ was one of these songs – with catchy lyrics and forceful drum beats, it had the feel of a ballad, slowly building up to the big sing-a-long, which made this song one to stick in your head – no wonder is it set to be released.



The band managed to show us a softer side with ‘If I Was’, which came across as a gentle love song. The guitar during the intro was parallel to something from Bright Eyes. This song immediately came across as a wonderfully wrote love song and could easily something you’d hear on Valentine’s Day swapped between many couples. Lyrics like, “If I was a betting man, I would bet you loved me too, I’d bet everything I had for chance to be with you”, paint an image of a song wrote for a loved one.



Listening to the lyrics in more depth there seems to be more to the song. “I wish I never learnt a chord” and “I wasted so much time” could have led the audience to believe that the song may be about love lost due to music.



A fantastic performance from Young Rebel Set containing something for everyone.



Rating: 4/5

Review by Craig Thomas

This has been published on Southsonic's website.

http://www.southsonic.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=242&Itemid=68

Save 6 Music

Save “6 Music”!

For many years I have been listening to BBC 6 music radio station after discovering it one Sunday morning when I found myself bored with nothing to do. I was immediately hooked on the music that they played and the quirky presenters they had to go with it. After recently this year discovering that the BBC have plans to take the station of air I was saddened and like many others couldn’t see why they wanted to do this.

For myself and I am sure for many other people BBC 6 Music has been a great source for discovering new music from the various selection of music they play on the show. It’s probably the only radio station in the UK that plays the music that they do. Mix the music with the quirky presenters and there is not much else more that you need for a great radio station.

A story reported in the Times said “The BBC has failed British musicians and their fans by deciding to shut the digital radio station 6 Music, record industry chiefs said at the weekend.” The story goes on to say “In a strongly worded letter to Mark Thompson, the Director-General, representatives of the music industry said they were “surprised and alarmed” by last week’s report in The Times that the broadcaster is to close the alternative music station as part of an overhaul of the corporation’s size and scope.” The BBC in my opinion fail to realise the popularity of the show and how it is so important for new small bands to get radio coverage as it is a lot harder for them to get played on radio 1. As nowadays we have no Top of the Pops by having “6 Music” it’s where a lot of bands are showcased to the public for the first time.
Some people have been arguing that the BBC needs to take “6 Music” of the air so that they can save money. I feel that it would much more sensible for the BBC to cut the salaries of their “Stars” like Jonathon Ross. I have also spoke to people and heard people say that Radio 1 is a good hub for introducing new music and to be honest this idea annoys me as I don’t think anyone can compare Radio 1 and “6 Music” for playing and introducing new music. Radio 1 always has been and always will be a much more commercial radio station and they have set playlists as to what they have to play whereas 6 Music plays a much greater variety of music. They allow for much more personality for their presenters who reflect this with the music they play.

I really do hope that Mark Thompson and the BBC come to their senses and realise that 6 Music is far too important to the public and to the music world to be taken off air. They should look at other ways to restructure the BBC without damaging the music sector.


Craig

Joshua Radin - Bristol Thekla - 15th April 2010

Joshua Radin pleases his fans in a very intimate and cosy venue with fantastic support from “The Staves” and “Lissie”.

The Staves were the first to grace the stage on a warm Thursday evening in Bristol – three young girls with very melancholic voices leading to a beautiful start to the night. With a one guitar and three stunning voices they created a sound comparable to Laura Marling. Each and every song was greeted with a very appreciative applause by the audience.

Lissie followed The Staves and certainly the expectant crowd. A very charming American gal singing with all she had and she seemed extremely grateful to be in the UK. The performance was folk, blues and country all in one. It was a very strong performance and most of the audience found themselves foot tapping along with songs such as “In Sleep” and “Little Lovin’”. No wonder they received such a great reception from the Bristol crowd.


Joshua Radin didn’t leave the crowd waiting long and entered the stage with his band and “The Staves” providing the backing vocals.

Joshua started his set with “No Envy No Fear” and had the crowd gazing at him in wonder. During the song Joshua even stepped away from the mic and closer to the crowd, still not losing the impact of his wonderful voice. The self proclaimed “whisper-rock” style from Joshua Radin shone through in this song and throughout the night.

One thing about this performance that stood out was that he constantly kept the crowd involved whether it was just by telling them a story or by asking questions. There was constant inclusion of a story before every song he sang – why he wrote it and where he wrote it etc. The stories gave every song that much more personal meaning especially in the case of “One of those days” which he wrote after seeing his ex-girlfriend everywhere he went.

“Sky” which was performed by Joshua and The Staves lead singer was a very intimate acoustic performance with the pair sharing a mic and singing in perfect harmony as the rest of band exited the stage to leave the spotlight on the pair.

Joshua took time to perform some new songs with which he got the whole audience involved in. He had the crowd shouting out lyrics to the chorus in one and clapping along to the rhythm in another.

All in all a fantastic intimate performance by Joshua Radin.

4 out of 5

Craig Thomas