Yelle - Safari Disco Club Review

If Yelle were jumping rope on their 2007 Pop-Up, Safari Disco Club is when they come back bloody-kneed. Less bouncy than their debut, the three-piece’s sophomore effort takes the party into darker, more emotive territory. The synths by turns recall the swooshy warmth of fellow Gallic knob-twiddlers Air, before going all glacial Twilight Zone on us. The sad, sweet C’est Pas Une Vie hand-claps and bleeps its way through winsome vulnerability, while Mon Pays is a riff on the age-old ‘love you or leave you?’ dilemma, rendered in the coldest of Italo beats. It’s not quite The Party’s Over, but Safari Disco Club is crammed full of melodies to get stuck in your head and your heart.

4/5

This review appears in the April issue of Attitude, on sale now.

Vivian Girls - Share The Joy Review

‘Should I call Johnny?’ asks Kickball Katy to Cassie Ramone. Not a scenario from Dreamphone, but one of many delicious lyrical epigrams on Share The Joy. The Brooklynites have switched shoegaze for psych on their third LP, which is choc-full of fuzzy indie-pop wonders. The addictive and conflicted album opener The Other Girls showcases a new introspection and maturity, though.

4.5/5

This review appears in the April issue of Attitude, on sale now.

Hunx and His Punx - Too Young To Be In Love Review

On paper, Seth Bogart (aka Hunx) ticks all the boxes. Catchy three-chord songs, a badass backup girl group called The Punkettes, lyrics about heartbreak and (not) being too young to be in love. Last year’s Gay Singles was a witty twist on the conventions of Spector-esque pop – it queered up rock and roll. But on Too Young to Be In Love, Bogart’s bubble rather droops. This pastiche of 60s girl groups is missing the heart of darkness present in the best of the genre. The songs are catchy enough: title track Too Young To Be In Love chugs along melodically, but the stroppy Bad Boy lacks bite. And while it’s all in good fun, you’re left wishing there was more.

3.5/5



This review was originally published in the March Issue of Attitude.

Veronica Falls/The Loft/Comet Gain Live Review

The Lexington, London 5/1/11


'Rose rose rose red, will I ever see thee wed?', intones Veronica Falls' Roxanne Clifford as prelude to the night's opening set. It's the lament Shirley Collins would sing if she had been kidnapped by the cast of The Wicker Man. The London based four-piece, who are currently recording their much-anticipated debut album, deftly navigate psych and C86 influences while retaining a firm sense of Spector-esque melody. Performed live, 'Found Love in A Graveyard' is charged with a new frenetic urgency, while new song 'Come On Over' is a paean to love in all its torturous longing with a hook that just won't quit.
From new routes to 80s roots, The Loft deliver a pitch-perfect set including seminal singles 'Why Does The Rain?' and 'Up The Hill and Down The Slope.' As one of the first bands to be released on Alan McGee's legendary Creation Records, the band were at the epicentre of the mid-80s indie revival, and it's heartening to see their irresistible tunes being embraced by a new audience.


Tonight's headliners Comet Gain take the notion of 'cult' to a new level. To their devotees, the band epitomise pre-2.0 DIY indie, where mixtapes are cherished and bands are discovered through zines. The band take a couple of songs to find their feet, but when they launch into 'If I Had A Soul' and 'Beautiful Despair' they are taut and energising. David Feck's course off-key ramblings are tempered by Sarah Bleach's winsome, meandering patter ('It's like watching a band practice!' my gig-companion enthused). During their closing song, fan-favourite 'Movies,' Feck whispers 'it's only music, and there's much more to life than music.' If there were ever evidence to the contrary, it's Comet Gain.






This review appeared in the March issue of Clash Magazine.