Daniel Pearson’s second album finds the Hull singer-songwriter immersed in the parlous state of the nation’s economy and its effects on his nearest and dearest. Annoyed that the subject was not being confronted by musicians – “I suppose that’s the…
Category: Records
Album | Julia Holter – Ekstasis
Ekstasis is a shape-shifting album, reminding me of Grimes, Little Dragon, Laurie Anderson, Sigur Ros, Emilie Simon and Miles Davis by turns, blended into chorally-minded, near-orchestral compositions that defy any simple explanation. ‘This Is Ekstasis’ is a true soundscape, evoking…
EP | Seth Lakeman – Live With The BBC Concert Orchestra
As a general rule of thumb, adding an orchestra to something makes it vastly different. Examples of things that would be made wildly more interesting by the addition of an orchestra include train stations, casual conversation and bathtime. The opposing…
Live | Martha Wainwright @ Shepherds Bush Empire
Stomping onto the stage at Shepherd’s Bush Empire with a jumper wrapped turban-wise around her head and a Norwegian fox dangling from her throat, Martha Wainwright bursts straight into a rendition of ‘Factory’. Choosing to begin the evening with a…
Album | Willy Mason – Carry On
For serious Willy Mason devotees, a number of the tracks on Carry On will be thoroughly familiar; he’s been gigging them all around the place for upwards of a year. Recording the album in the depths of south London with…
Album | Joyce The Librarian – They May Put Land Between Us
When Joyce The Librarian first found their way into FFS ears earlier this year, it took us a while to get over their wondrous name, the Stilgoe & Skillern song of a sex-starved book lender that inspired it, and all…
Album | Maia – Pepper Stars
“As the alien living amongst you, I’m glad to see we can finally live in peace,” coos Maia’s lead singer Tom Clegg on the opening track of ‘Pepper Stars’, in a vocal style similar to what one images an extra-terrestrial’s…
Singles Round-up | Abi Wade, Family Machine, Killing Fields of Ontario, Magmana, Jennifer Left, Reuben & the Dark, Songs For Walter
Abi Wade – Heavy Heart/Faker Often compared to Joanna Newsom and Regina Spektor, cellist-percussionist Wade suffers the same pitfalls as those kindred spirits in that the germ of a great idea can be lost in excessive quirkiness. ‘Faker’ is the…
Album | The Cairo Gang – The Corner Man
Emmett Kelly is, to all intents and purposes, the only permanent gang member and since a debut album under that name in 2006 has put out only an impossible to find follow-up, a solitary EP and a collaboration with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. The latter, the occasionally fantastic Wondershow of the World, was certainly not time wasted, but The Corner Man is too deeply felt and too thoroughly delivered to be the work of a regular sidekick.
Album | Musical Charis – Fool$ Gold
Sacramento’s Musical Charis have created a little gem of a record with Fool$ Gold. Knowing how lovely the band are (not many bands open their own music school for their community!), I was willing for this album to be good.…