One of Chemikal Underground’s most under-rated and under exposed acts
was De Rosa, a five piece hailing from Lanarkshire, Scotland. In their
lifespan they managed to release two commercial albums, 2006’s Mend and
2009’s Prevention before disbanding and joining the ever growing ranks
of innovative indie bands crushed by the weight of the falling record
industry. Since disbanding in 2009 very little was heard of the band
except lead singer Martin John Henry who set to work establishing
himself as a solo artist with 2011’s The Other Half Of Everything, but
in 2012 the band revealed they had reunited. Four years and a few
scattered live appearances later and De Rosa have finally gotten round
to releasing their third album; Weem, on Mogwai owned record label Rock
Action Records. For the uninitiated the music of De Rosa
is a heady mixture of indie folk with a touch of post-rock grandeur.
Whilst the band’s first album Mend was more of a punchy guitar driven
album, 2009’s Prevention was the start of the bands movement into this
more polished and diverse sound, which in part is what made the bands
break up so lamentable. Weem is a continuation of this more refined
aesthetic and every part of Weem is teeming with subtle graceful
flourishes. The guitars range from melodious electric reverb to the
delicate acoustic at a pace that feels organic and consistent whilst
Martin John Henry’s trademark Scottish brogue completes the bands unique
and instantly recognisable sound. Sporadically keyboards, pianos and
glockenspiels make themselves known which reinforces the albums
diversity of sound and attention to detail. All of this combines with
Henry’s penchant for traversing what feels like quite dark territory in
his lyrics. The overall effect is something singularly magical, a record
of such fine detail it stands as a stark reminder as to why De Rosa
were so dearly missed in their absence. Devotees of the band will
recognise some of the songs on offer here as songs originally released
as part of the digital only series Appendices which saw the band release
one song a month in 2008 for free download. These songs however have
been lovingly re-recorded in somewhat altered forms here to prevent them
seem too much like money for old rope, and to be honest even in their
original forms these songs stood out as some of the bands most catchy
material at the time so tracks like The Sea Cup and Prelude To Entropic
Doom were always truly worthy of a commercial release. Meanwhile newer
compositions such as lead single and opener Spectres and album closer
The Mute are so hypnotically catchy it is hard not to see them joining
the bands ever swelling ranks of canon compositions.
From start to
finish Weem matches up to the promise De Rosa alluded to before their
premature break up with Prevention. With seldom a dull moment on it the
whole album marks a most triumphant return for a group who have
certainly been too long away. Available on CD or vinyl through Rock
Action Records I strongly advise you to give it a spin.
Physical/Download: http://rockaction.co.uk/releases/5426/weem
One album in recent years that totally hit me right in the ribs was
London based indie-folk trio Daughter’s 2013 debut album If You Leave.
It was an album of stark emotion and easily one of my favourite albums
of the year and one I still revisit regularly, it’s fragile balance
between folksy minimalism and glacial post rock sensibilities only
making the pervasive atmosphere of melancholy more succinct. Not To
Disappear is the bands eagerly awaited sophomore album. Much like the
band’s debut Not To Disappear is built on a foundation of beautifully
simple arrangements, at the core of which sits Elena Tonra’s
spectacularly affecting vocals, the key difference between this album
and the band’s first lies in the gradual shift away from their folk
roots in favour of a more electronic sound. In places the album is
peppered with synthetic beats and whilst the overall ethos remains ice
cold and sombre several tracks feel noticeably faster. These shifts add a
spot of welcome variation to proceedings. The other more familiar
aspects of the band’s sound remain intact, reverb laden guitars and soft
but measured percussion instilling the album with the bands indelible
mark. Lyrically things remain focused on heartbreak and confusion of
interpersonal relations but in a couple of places things take an even
more harrowing turn as Tonra expounds on the dementia and loss by
instalments. For many people this will be a painful listen because it is
clear from the honesty of the song writing this is not a subject that
is being explored to mawkishly jerk tears from the listener but is in
fact coming from a place of real experience. Whilst the album may seem
fairly monotonous in its procession of the melancholy and sombre the
whole album fits together perfectly and just like its predecessor is a
singularly affecting listen, perfect for those late night
contemplative moods. Highlights include the heart-breaking lead single Doing
The Right Thing which expounds on the ceaseless barbarity of dementia
and the fragility of memory and No Care with its more driven energy
which sees the band flirt with uncharted territory.
Attachments is the debut album of post-hardcore
quartet Trials Of Early Man, made up of musicians who’ve all been in the
DIY hardcore/punk game long enough to be deservedly described as
veterans. The band itself boasts members from Caretaker, Action &
Action,
Circusact, The Correct Arc and The Good Wife and with such varied areas
of expertise you could be forgiven for not knowing what to expect from
such a hybrid. What
you actually get from this Frankenstein’s monster of a band however is
some brilliantly focused and hook laden post hardcore. The sort of post
hardcore that takes much of its inspiration from the more left field
punk pioneers like Fugazi and Hot Snakes, without seeming derivative.
The guitar work throughout the album sways from the frantic to the
serene at the drop of the hat, revealing intricate layers of melody that
suggest a touch of nineties emo is also hidden somewhere in the bands
fabric. The vocals and rhythm section are just as fluid in their
approach to the bands whimsical tempo shifts, working just as well when
things slow down. It is these constant fluctuations in pace that make
the whole album such an engrossing listen from start to finish. In parts
the album is very reminiscent of bands like Spy Versus Spy or even
Million Dead, especially when it comes to the band’s ear for a catchy
harmony. In the end what you get with Attachments is something new,
exciting and vital in its energy that simultaneously feels instantly
familiar. Highlights come thick and fast so it seems almost redundant to
pick just one, that being said Pierced With Arrows chaos is
particularly infectious.
Overall Attachments is a brilliant debut
that harks back to the golden years of post-hardcore whilst bringing
plenty originality to the table. Catchy in the extreme, heavy but easily
accessible. A true triumph. Available to stream through all the usual
avenues or purchasable as a download direct from the band I highly
recommend you give it a go.
After moving my blog to the less formal world of Tumblr I have decided to utilise both sites simultaneously. It will be pretty much the same content across both sites so there's very little point following both but hopefully this will help boost bands exposure (after all it's all about them).
I will be bringing over everything from January later today and will endeavour to keep both sites running consistently. Minor changes to layouts will probably also be on their way.
