Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine

This, the fourth studio release by American singer-songwriter Sam Beam A.K.A Iron & Wine, follows his 2007 musical reinvention that was the critically acclaimed album, The Shepherd’s Dog. That release saw Beam switch from the simple, raw acoustic sound that he had made his name with, to much broader and lusher music, with incredible results. Kiss Each Other Clean looks to build on this success and complete Iron & Wine’s transition from acoustic balladeer to indie hero, making it both a much more ambitious and much riskier album than its predecessor.

The album opens with “Walking Far From Home”, a comfortingly familiar ballad, with lyrics that roam as widely as the title, and echoing voids filled with electronic clicks and whirls of sound. It’s followed by “Me and Lazarus”, with Beam’s layered falsetto duelling with saxophone in a stripped down funk tune musing on the traditional Iron & Wine themes of religion and lost opportunities.

Back in October of last year, Beam announced that the new album would sound like “mid-70s FM radio-friendly” music, and both funk and jazz have had a clear impact on the sound of this album. Feathery jazz flute drifts over the African drums at the closing of centrepiece track “Rabbit Will Run”, and closer “Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me” brings in a horn section to create a brash, funky but pensive track that rounds off the album superbly.

Kiss Each Other Clean, however, transcends a mere pop-funk record through Beam’s amazing lyrical ability. Whether through allegory like the coupling of the lion and the lamb in “Big Burned Hand”, the powerful opposing couplets that close “Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me”, or simply an incredibly evocative line like “As far as I can tell, the night won't compensate the blind” on “Godless Brother In Love”, your attention in grabbed tightly by Beam right at the start of the album, given a good lyrical shake up, and not let go until right at the very end.

On this album then, Sam Beam has created something that combines the very best of his lyrical talent and musical skill from his first two albums, the musical expansion and experimentation of The Shepherd’s Dog, and excellent production techniques to create an album that truly establishes Iron & Wine as one of the best indie acts of the past decade.

Scores (out of 10)

Lyrics: 9
Vocals: 7
Instrumentals: 8
Album arrangement: 8
Overall: 8

Favourite track - Difficult choice, but probably 'Rabbit Will Run'

New Artists: Lucy Rose

Thanks to the runaway success of Laura Marling, a new generation of gifted female singer/songwriters are springing up on the indie/folk scene. Lucy Rose is one of this new breed, a 20-year old with an incredible singing voice, and a songwriting talent to match.

Lucy began writing her music in high school, but kept her passion a secret from friends and family until she left school. Then her career took off, being chosen by Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman to provide backing vocals on critically acclaimed second album, Flaws, thanks to some amazing Myspace demos and a series of well reviewed indie-night performances at pubs and clubs around London.

Lucy’s brilliant, slightly husky singing voice, emphasised by the self produced nature of the tracks she has released so far on Myspace, along with her age, looks and musical style are all likely to draw comparisons to Laura Marling, which is no small compliment for any aspiring folk singer/songwriter. However, the area which really makes her stand out is her lyrics. Rather than opting for the mysterious, metaphorical poetic style of Laura’s work, she speaks from the heart, with an emotional sincerity that is both personal and endearing, and infinitely listenable.

So far, Lucy has released 8 tracks via her Myspace page, all self written and produced. My favourites are the incredibly catchy acoustic number Middle of the Bed, and the emotional and heartfelt Bull to the Red. However, my favourite Lucy Rose appearance so far was on the popular YouTube music channel watchlistentell (if you haven’t heard of it yet, check it out, it’s awesome), performing a version of probably her best song yet, Night Bus. Its combination of excellent songwriting, layered melodic guitars and harmonious vocals make it a standout, and lead to it becoming one of watchlistentell’s most popular videos.

Lucy Rose is definitely one to watch. Her beautiful music, honest lyrics, songwriting talent and her excellent live performances make her one of the artists I’m most excited about in the coming year, and the current folk revival and success of the likes of Laura Marling, Emmy the Great and Alessi’s Ark means she is perfectly poised to break onto the music scene and make 2011 her year.

Nathan Murphy

The King Is Dead by The Decemberists

My first review of 2010 is going to be the latest album by The Decemberists, a band I only discovered recently but fell in love with. Check them out, if you haven't already!

2009’s The Hazards of Love, the last release by Portland’s indie folk quintet The Decemberists, was a towering rock opera full of shape shifting forest dwellers, jealous fairy queens and lascivious rakes. The album received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its scope and its heavier sound when compared to their earlier work, while others derided it for pretentiousness and having too much focus on the story as opposed to the music.

Following their divisive sojourn into the world of the concept album, the Decemberists go back to their roots with their latest offering, The King Is Dead. The album marks a return to the simpler, more minimalistic indie style of their earlier albums, while retaining the anachronistic language, witty wordplay and poetic beauty common to all their work.

The band’s earlier releases were often heavily influenced by British folk music, but with The King Is Dead, lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy has chosen to draw much more upon the Americana and country scene. Especially noticeable is the impact R.E.M has had on the album. Unsurprisingly you might say, given that guitarist Peter Buck is featured on three of the 10 tracks on offer, and “Calamity Song” in particular could easily have been lifted from Murmur or Reckoning.

Other tracks on the album include the Neil Young-esque harmonica and mandolin of “Don’t Carry It All”, riotous square dance “Rox In The Box” and uptempo folk stomper “Down By The Water”, with backing vocals from bluegrass luminary Gillian Welch. All these are hushed and perfectly complemented by a pair of beautiful acoustic ballads, and my two favourite tracks on the album, “January Hymn” and “June Hymn”. “January Hymn” in particular, with its nostalgic lyrics and fluttering guitar evoking falling snow, is a standout.#

Overall, The King Is Dead provides an excellent return to the indie scene for The Decemberists. By reining in his ambitions for grandiosity and theatre and sticking to a simpler, more stripped back and acoustic sound, Colin Meloy and the band have created an album that by leaving out a lot gives so much more

Scores (out of 10)

 

Lyrics - 7

Vocals - 8

Instrumentals -7

Album arrangement - 6

Overall - 7

 

Favourite Track - January Hymn

By Nathan Murphy

Review of 2010

Review of 2010
Here's what I thought of 2010, and what I'm looking forward to in 2011. Enjoy!

Top 5 Albums
1. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
2. Warpaint – The Fool
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. The National – High Violet
5. The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt

Top 5 Songs
1. The Tallest Man On Earth - King of Spain
2. Laura Marling – Alpha Shallows
3. Cee Lo Green – Fuck You
4. Best Coast – Boyfriend
5. Johnny Flynn – The Water

What I’m looking forward to in 2011
I’m definitely looking forward to new albums by Coldplay, Laura Marling, Radiohead and The Strokes, Mumford and Sons hitting the studio to record new stuff, The Stranglers and The Decemberists coming to Birmingham and the original line up of Pulp reuniting, amongst many other things.

Top 5 disappointments of 2010
1. MGMT’s second album
2. Not getting Glastonbury tickets
3. The new Interpol album
4. Laura Marling pushing back her 3rd album release to next year
5. Missing out on tickets for Paul Weller in Birmingham

Top 5 Live Shows of 2010

1. Mumford and Sons, Laura Marling and The Dharohar Project at St George’s Hall, Bradford
2. Muse, Wembley
3. Johnny Flynn, Manchester Academy
4. Glastonbury (I didn’t manage to get tickets, but I watched it on BBC, if that counts?)
5. Acoustic Ladyland, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds