Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle

This week, Laura Marling released her fourth studio album Once I Was An Eagle, featuring singles Where Can I Go? and Master Hunter. Marling started off, as apparently all great female singer songwriters do, by singing back up for Noah And The Whale on their first album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down. She can be heard gleefully screeching out the chorus for 5 Years Time in a slightly mockney accent. She notoriously broke Charlie Fink's heart and then, at the tender age of 18, embarked on her first album Alas I Cannot Swim. Comparing those two albums, it's easy to see how much she's matured. Gone is the mockney accent and the blond hair cut into a bob. Now she's the established darling of the folk world, and she holds a place dear to the hearts of many people all over the world.

Comparing the vocals on Ghosts with those on Breathe, there is no doubt as to how much more skilled they've become. The gently quivering vibrato is constantly present throughout the album, making it distinctly Marling. The beauty of the long, extended "breathe" is undeniable.

The thing that really makes this album stand out among her other material is that it's not influenced solely by folk. In Little Love Caster, there is definitely a hint of flamenco to the simplistic guitar accompaniment, and the organ on Once could almost have been sampled from an early Sam Cooke or Curtis Mayfield recording. That's all they are though - influences. Laura Marling takes the little bits that she likes and twists them so that they become new again. Just one of her many talents.

At an epic 16 songs, Once I Was An Eagle is truly a testament to how far Laura Marling has come since the days of Charlie Fink. Granted, there was heartbreak both ways, but neither have seemingly been able to overcome it until their most recent albums. In When Where You Happy? (And How Long Has That Been) finally seems to have done it, asking "hey there, new friend across the sea, if you figure things out will you figure in me?" This plaintive request for love is made even more beautiful by the syrupy, low vocals. When she gets to the chorus, she seems to ask it of herself, not this new friend. Throughout the song she struggles through the expectations of her and the limitations these have placed upon her; particularly poignant is the lyric "my vote was never counted, so who upon this earth knows what it is I believe?"

The move to LA seems to have benefited Marling a great deal, especially in Master Hunter and Where Can I Go? The laid back attitude of the land of Hollywood seems to have seeped into her music, as these two songs are definitely much more relaxed than, for example, You Only Doll (Dora). On Master Hunter, Marling lapses into a lovely, lilting style of talk-singing at certain moments that hints at a watered-down Lou Reed.  Where Can I Go? is much more typical mid-west kind of folk, with typical lines such as "I was a daddy's girl sometime but I loved my mama til the end of the line", which harks back to songs like Salinas. The way that she makes her troubles seem so attractive by putting them to a catchy guitar line and adding a bit of tambourine is exactly what I love about her. The casual way that she throws in "it's no fucking life that I would choose" in Master Hunter, and "I feel like I'm better fucked than won" in Where Can I Go? only pleads her cause even further, because, horror of horrors, she can swear in a folk song. And make it work.

It's official: Laura Marling has actually done it. She's made an album that surpasses all else she's done. And for Laura Marling, that's a feat in itself.

Rating: 10/10

Recommended Tracks:
Too many to choose, but Once
Take The Night Off
Saved These Words

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

I can't quite find the words to describe the oddity that is Daft Punk. They've had a career spanning over 16 years, their debut album Homework having been released in 1997. In the spirit of unpredictability, the two Parisian DJs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter announced that they would be doing the soundtrack to Disney's Tron: Legacy. Undoubtedly, the duo's signature electronic sound perfectly fits the mould for the film, but for two pop stars to turn their hand to writing film scores is a turn of events that nobody could really have predicted. IndeShaft, but somehow Daft Punk don't seem to be the likely candidates to make the same kind of move. But that's exactly what makes them so refreshing.
ed, it has been done before by the legend that is Isaac Hayes for

There's an element of mystery behind the two Frenchmen; in the more obvious sense, they're constantly in their robot gear and pictures of their faces on Google Images are hard to find. In a more musical sense, they keep their voices disguised by a copious amount of electronic effects, and many of the songs don't feature any vocals at all. Not only does it allow them to maintain a relative amount of anonymity, but it abides by Walt Disney's golden rule: "Always leave them wanting more."

By now, pretty much everyone has heard the unforgettable Get Lucky featuring Pharrell Williams. At 6:10 it's not your typical single; catchy, yes, but the length is not exactly radio friendly. Nile Rodgers, the man who produced David Bowie's Let's Dance and has played alongside musicians like Aretha Franklin and Chic, collaborated on Get Lucky to create its infectious guitar rift; this essentially makes the song.

It's incredible to see how skilled the two Daft Punk members really are, even with their robot hands on. The bassist (whoever he may be) is slightly awesome, and handles the funk-based riff with ease. The drummer sits at leisure at the drum kit, not really bothered by the antics of the rest of the band. Pharrell Williams doesn't have the strongest voice, but the low-key nature of the backing means he's not overpowered. It does have a slightly whiney quality when it gets to the higher pitched bridge, but it does lend something to the chorus.

One of the more stand-out tracks is Giorgio By Moroder. It's 10 minutes of an interview with Giovanni Giorgio Moroder, an Italian producer and musician who came to prominence in the late 1960s with his single Looky Looky. It's interesting to see the fascination he holds for Daft Punk, particualrly as he talks about the "sound of the future" being the synthesiser. The song is exemplar in the context of the album because the interview acts as the vocals, shaping the song and leading down into its different sections, and indeed, the sections become symbols for the message contained in that specific part of the interview. For example, the breakdown occurs just after Moroder talks about freeing ones mind of "harmonic and melodic progressions". The song is a sort of tribute to the man whom Nile Rogers claims invented dance music, and it's clear to see the iconic status he holds for Daft Punk.

It's the perfect summer album, timed perfectly to exacerbate the longing for summer of all the tired, bustling workers. Expect to hear Get Lucky at every house party you attend this summer.

Rating: 7/10

Recommended Tracks:
The Game Of Love
Lose Yourself To Dance
Contact

The Family Rain

The Family Rain are yet another one of the new bands coming out of the UK that are doing it oh so very right. A group of three brothers from Bath, Ollie Walter (guitar/vocals) and twins William Walter (bass/vocals) and Timothy Walter (drums/vocals) officially formed The Family Rain in 2011, although William says they "started to play in bands together about 8 years ago, but the bands always included at least one other member as well as the three of us". This stripped back line-up, showcasing just the essentials of a rock band, really does these boys justice; the result is a raw, bluesy sound that refuses to get out of your head.

Their new single Pushing It is the perfect example of this. It starts off in a suppressed but nonetheless unapologetically heavy fashion; the grainy effects applied to the voice and instruments make it sound like a scratchy old vinyl record (which is the god-given method of playing music). Although the song stays on the same level all the way through, they maintain interest by slight variations in the music, like the guitar backing in the second verse, or the guitar solo after the chorus. As the song progresses, you get the feeling that this would be fantastic live, just because of the mood and the level of energy in the song; indeed, the band have been called a fantastic live band by many fans. The band are currently in the process of a headlining tour around the UK.

 

The band have a small yet select (and fantastic) repertoire: their new EP Pushing It recently came out, and a Youtube search brings up several live performances and previous songs that are each as brilliant as the last. They have a distinctly vintage sound, harking back to the days of The Rolling Stones or AC/DC, which sets them apart from some of the other contemporary indie rock bands. They most certainly aren't a copy-cat band, as the back-to-basics line up and driving drumbeat will tell you.

The band themselves are clearly very ambitious; in an interview with NME Ollie said that "this is not meant to be a small thing. We gave up everything to do this". It's starting to pay off, as they've recently been signed by Virgin EMI, a record label that represents the likes of Arcade Fire, Elton John and Rihanna. I have a feeling that the future is going to be bright for these lads.

Rating: 9/10

Recommended Tracks:
Carnival
Trust Me... I'm A Genius
Friction

The Anecdotes

There seems to be nothing that new British bands cannot do. They're coming from every corner: prominently Birmingham, Liverpool, and obviously London. One city that's been slightly under-represented in the newbie stakes is Manchester. Home of The Smiths, Joy Division and The Stone Roses, it would seem that indie rock bands would have a whole lot to live up to. And so The Anecdotes step up to the plate, and they seem to be doing a very good job so far.

Their new EP Origami Waves, released on 22nd April 2013, aspires to escape reality with songs entitled Kaleidoscope and Fell Into A Dream. This seems to be the new vogue amongst up and coming artists; indeed, I'm not complaining, if there's one thing I need right now it's a bit of escapism.

The title track opens with a nod to The Smiths, sounding oddly like a remastered version of The Headmaster Ritual, but the song comes into its own when the vocals come in. The dark, brooding tones of lead singer Matt Hensley
give the song a tone of modern teenage daydreams. Despite their youth, they clearly have some proper skills, which the air-shredding guitar solo in the background will tell you. In fact, just tune your ear into any of the individual parts and you will find some talented musicians behind them. Bassist Nick Bradford, drummer Ellis Cullen and guitarist Mike Rowlinson all have an equally important part to play in the song, and they make sure none of them are forgotten.

The Anecdotes site Peace, The Cribs and The Strokes as their main influences, and their songs are very transparent in revealing exactly how those influences have seeped into their music. The opening of Kaleidoscope sounds like a rehashed version of Peace's Bloodshake, but the lyrics echo a much more distinctly adolescent emotion: that of wanting to escape and make something of yourself. This sentiment is much more reminiscent of the more recent Noah and The Whale material (i.e. Waiting For My Chance To Come), although put into an entirely different context of smashing drums and wailing guitars - if Charlie Fink had done hardcore indie rock, it would sound like this.

Fell Into A Dream is the one which really allows you to ease yourself in, like into a swimming pool on a hot day. The gradual build up of the song to the last instrumental section, where the guitar blends into itself and the drums go crazy, makes me long for being in the middle of a massive crowd at a festival, dancing like a mad person and nobody giving a monkey's. The slight change in the music after the first chorus moves the song on to new heights; they never do the same thing twice.

I think we've done it. I think there is finally a new band coming out of Manchester that aren't trying too hard to be Morrissey, and yet sound just as awesome. N.B. Do allow yourself some time for them to grow on you, it needs a bit of an adjustment period.

Rating: 7.5/10

Listen to the EP here:

Noah and The Whale - Live at the Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre on Cambridge Circus has a banner of yellow around the top of it advertising Singing in the Rain; a cluster of brightly coloured umbrellas adorns the front of the theatre, brash and loud. The only sign that Noah and The Whale are actually playing here is the beige tarpaulin sign announcing their show (which is swiftly dismantled at the end of it), the clusters of dedicated fans waiting to get in and the boiler-suited concierges. More on them later.

Inside the theatre, it’s much the same; the dark wood of the circle has a certain elegance to it without being overly showy. The stage is quite small, and there are faded rugs on the floor for the convenience of the performers. It’s a relatively small venue, and yet there were still whole rows of empty seats. This surprised me, seeing as their single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N reached Number 14 in the UK charts and their third album Last Night on Earth reached Number 8 in the UK album charts.

However, the whole set up of the show, the understated intimacy of it all, perfectly reflects the vibe of Noah and The Whale. They don’t need to scream and shout for the limelight, because their skill and humility speaks for itself. Charlie Fink’s muttered “thank yous” after every song, Tom Hobden missing his cue on the piano at the beginning of There Will Come A Time – it all seems very human and easygoing.

The concept of the show was this: they wouldn't have a support act. Instead they would play an acoustic set, then there would be a showing of the short film that accompanies their new album Heart of Nowhere, a short interval, ending in a full live set. This worked so well. They acted as their own support act, easing the audience in with acoustic versions of Give A Little Love, Tonight’s The Kind Of Night and Not Too Late. It shows a confidence in their material that they allow themselves to start off with the more intimate songs.

All of the songs were so skilfully played and done so with such passion from every member that the audience refrained from the usual mid-song whoops; instead they sat enthralled and reserved the cheers for the end. The original 5 members were accompanied by Tom Hobden’s string quartet, and they added a new level to the already layered and intricate songs; they slot right in, and complement the band so well.What I loved about the acoustic set was that they played some songs from their achingly beautiful second album First Days of Spring. You would think that the subject matter would be
too painful, too personal to be able to play them live, but the band did an amazing job of translating the intimacy of these songs into an inclusive live performance.

It was with First Days of Spring that you could particularly appreciate the difficulty of such a task.  It built up and dipped down again just as on the CD, but as a live performance the meaning of the lyrics and sentiment of the song became suddenly clearer. Towards the end of the song, a disco ball lit up in the corner, and a full-on light show came into play, adding to the strength of the emotion.

Next was the short film, written and directed by Charlie Fink, sharing a name with their newest album. Each band member has a short cameo, mostly as wardens for the fictional Teenland, an island where all teenagers are kept in quarantine until they can be integrated back into society. This is where the boiler-suited concierges come in. The premise of the film was that three boys, presumably based on the three founding members of Noah and The Whale, run away from this imprisonment. They then decide to play one last gig to go out with a bang instead of being caught “like rats”.

Although it’s only half an hour long, the quality of the acting and cinematography mean that you get the entire plot without it needing to go on for two hours. The closeness of the shots allows for an almost intuitive assumption of each character’s personality and back story  One distinctly touching scene was when the bassist tells his future self not to “let them cut your hair. You have great hair.” Indeed, it has to be said that Noah and The Whale’s bassist Matt Owens (more affectionately known as Urby Whale) really does have great hair.

The interval allows for some comfort that you don’t usually get with live shows; Fink refers to this during the show laughingly, saying “next we’ll be playing in the DFS showroom. Then you won’t even know we’re playing because you’ll be asleep”. But again, this unusual, almost theatrical set up reflects the tone and vibe of the band themselves.

Although the acoustic set was fantastic, it was with the full live set that Noah and The Whale fully came into themselves. They made it so the audience felt a particular affinity with every song, as though the band were playing it just for them. The way that Fink’s voice bounced and glided off each note draws you in; you can’t possibly look away. They’re clearly all so passionate about their material, shown in Charlie’s bouncing, Urby’s hair swishes, Tom’s toe tapping, Matt’s swaying and Fred’s air drumming. If anything, this part of the show emphasised their versatility; songs like Heart of Nowhere and All Through The Night show that Noah and The Whale can do rock as well as anyone. As they played Silver and Gold, Fink announced that it was the first time they've performed it live, and it kicked off magnificently.

Throughout all of this, the audience’s excitement is slowly building, until someone plucks up the courage to yell “I love you!” to which Fink gives a thumbs up and goes “thank you!” Somebody then yelled “Stranger!!” To my absolute delight, they played it. Halfway through, Fink forgot the words, and Tom Hobden, Michael Petulla and Fred Abbott were clearly improvising, but this only served to embed the idea that they are just five normal guys playing music they love, grateful for the attention. Speaking to Urby Whale afterwards, he thanked me for coming out to see them. Astounded, I replied it was my absolute pleasure, that I’d love to any time to which he just smiled thankfully. Charlie Fink shook our hands and thanked us for our support. The actual Charlie Fink. Yes, really.

During Still After All These Years, somebody handed Urby Whale a guitar, and he and Fred Abbott exchanged guitar solos, with Charlie Fink standing back, grinning at each one. Again, this not only reaffirmed the versatility of their music, but the versatility of each band member. This was when you truly got to see the amicability between them, the
sincere friendship. Long may it last – I want them to keep producing albums for as long as possible.

As soon as the opening chords of 5 Years’ Time began to play, the entire theatre got up on their feet and began to dance; my photographer, the lovely Maya Colwell, said to me afterwards that she doesn't think she’s ever danced that much in a theatre before. It allowed the audience to be as uninhibited as if they were at a festival, and danced madly, hands in the air, screaming all the words. Then came the amazing L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. I, personally, went slightly crazy, arms waving everywhere and bawling out each line. I think I got several odd looks from those sitting in front of me, but I really couldn't have cared less. The band themselves looked invigorated by this outpouring of support that they allowed the crowd to sing the last chorus, stepping back modestly from the microphones to allow our generic voice to come through.

As they went off, the screams of “encore!” got louder and louder, so they conceded and came on again to play the fantastic Lifetime. Some might say that ending on a new song was risky, but in all honesty, it integrated the new material further into their repertoire, making them firm favourites with everybody.

Rating: 11/10. Every time.