Reviews by richardwiggins

I am not a trip hop fan, so that is definitely going to colour my experience of Walking Wounded, but even despite this I admire the ambition behind this record and how it blends vocals seamlessly with the cool downtempo beats. It’s a cohesive sound with an unexpected mixture, though it’s potentially a bit one note to sustain that vibe across the whole tracklist.

I was daydreaming imagining what The Psychedelic Furs would sound like as a new band in the 2020s. A producer might be tempted to add a little pitch correction to the vocals, alter the tuning of the saxophones, bring the band more in time with each other, buff out some of the roughness. And you know… in this instance I don’t think that’s such a bad thing! The band are charmingly frayed at the edges, and I suspect fans find that appealing, but for me these catchy compositions are ripe for a high fidelity, more “produced” presentation.

When I see through the aesthetic I can hear a dynamic, exciting group who know how to write a good tune.

I have an occasional habit of writing needlessly confrontational sweeping opening statements in my reviews, which I’m trying to keep in check, but John Grant’s debut is inspiring such a response from me - I am convinced that labelmate Father John Misty has ripped off John Grant’s entire sound, especially on the album I Love You Honeybear. Queen of Denmark, is not as good as FJM but delivers the exact same unmistakable voice and persona, the same jokey, cynical take on Elton John’s balladry that FJM has since popularised.

So why didn’t Grant blow up instead? Well, the songwriting is pretty good but it’s just not got that special sauce FJM has - that knack for a killer phrase or extra bit of songwriting genius. What is here though is a flawless vibe and a completely original approach, which he should get credit for. A more satisfying review would be to state that Grant is the original and the best, but what we have here instead is a sort of 1-1 draw, with Father John Misty winning on penalties.

This album has the unenviable task of following Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust. While it pales in comparison to the majesty of those two records, as a work in its own right it's highly entertaining, taking what worked with Ziggy and essentially giving us another helping with a handful of hits and some robust, explorative album tracks. If this is what “average” Bowie sounds like, then I think that is very high praise.

Black Sabbath wrote the rulebook for heavy metal, envisioning it as a deeply atmospheric and foreboding form of rock music. Their debut sounds nothing like anything that came before it and remains impressive, even if they bettered this album a few times over with their follow up efforts.

I quite like the ramshackle British psych-folk storyteller charm, but despite some brilliant flourishes I’m not sure it will live long in my memory. Similar to my experience of Robert Wyatt’s Rock Bottom, it’s not quite “my” type of psych-folk.

I love it when artists fold industrial influences into their sound (e.g. Alan Vega, Lingua Ignota, early Factory Floor) but straight up industrial music has always left me cold. My favourite song on Kollaps is the title track, possibly because it conforms most to the qualities of a post-punk. If there were more noisy cathartic peaks or unhinged vocal extremities then maybe it would tickle that experimental part of my brain, but it sounds a little mild and flat to my ears. I appreciate it may have sounded more cutting edge in the early 80s.

Super Furry Animals are doing a couple of things here. The bulk of this album is amiable rock music with plush, dramatic production and a sunny disposition; then there’s moments which shoot off into something a bit more explorative, weirder and unanticipated. It’s the modifications on the form that fascinate me - screaming into the microphone, passages of ambiance, glitchy keys. Its a shame they don't stick with and dig into any of these other modes as while the songs themselves are solidly enjoyable, it’s these flourishes that provide all of the intrigue for me.

I enjoy the peppiness of Rocket From the Crypt. Their crunchy, expressive guitars have an enjoyable vibe. Compositionally I can’t say much stood out to me but it didn’t drag, passing the time pleasantly.

My eyes were getting ready to roll as I heard the “woah-oah-oahhhs” of the opening song, but Turbonegro quickly won me over with their ridiculously amped up power chords and a surprisingly nerdy vocal performance which charmed me. It’s not in any way cool, but there is a genuine sense of fun throughout which never fades. They have enough energy to go for days and totally commit to the bit.

A middling 40 minutes of ROCK MUSIC which at points threatened to tip over into a real good time. It’s pretty infectious hearing people have this much fun, but The Cult’s hard rock aesthetic with all the trimmings does little to win me over to the genre.

An interesting, maybe even intelligent record which, for me, lacks a killer instinct which sees it stumble around tranquilised for 75+ minutes. It’s all very intentional, they want to keep you in that woozy, stumbling state but whether it entrances you will depend on how well disposed you are to the simple set of ingredients they’re working with. For me it’s all a little too uneventful and bland.

I admire how different The Velvet Underground’s first three albums are from each other. This one most sounds like them kicking back and relaxing into the process of recording an LP. Flitting to and fro between semi-acoustic and full band numbers gives it a low key, settled feeling that is the polar opposite of White Light White Heat.

The Murder Mystery, which is quite unlike the rest of the record, is a favourite of mine. I like how it shoots from the anxious busy brain verses into the curious and laid back choruses. Over lockdown my band recorded our own version of it for a charity compilation which further revealed some of its beguiling qualities to me. Experimental music made by people who understand pop music is my favourite kind.

Pavement have perfected the formula on this second LP. There’s still an unpolished easy breeziness to them but everything is very slightly tweaked and tightened. I like that for this group fuzzy, roughed up production and arrangements do not come at the expense of pop hooks and joyous melody. Where they become a bit more unhinged it enters The Fall territory, which definitely appeals to me, but maybe highlights how much I like The Fall!

This album does not generate as much excitement in me as I would like, or as much as I would have suspected based on the killer opening track. Beyond Respect there are a lot of pleasant soul sounds from a vocal powerhouse but they are not as iconic or memorable as I would expect given Aretha Franklin’s level of fame and adoration. She’s cool though and I could see this album as being a bit of a leveller - it would be hard to imagine someone who would object to this being put on at the beginning of a party, or when it's winding down.

How had I never heard of this band? They are a more jam-led Doors contemporary with creeping, Sunday service-like keys, phenomenally powerful vocals and hefty, mean sounding guitars. I love how these sprawling songs are composed but how they get a bit edgy and experimental in places. Not every Doors album is in this ball park but my favourite ones are, so it's wonderful stumbling on to a classic album which is totally my vibe.

For one night only San Quentin prison was the place to be. It’s remarkable that the performance ever happened and even more remarkable that it was captured for posterity with such clarity and candour. I love it when I hear a live performance which would have been the best moment of many of the audience member’s lives. I can’t think of another live album for which that is more true than this one.

Every song hits home but the song San Quentin has to be one of the all time greatest live performances, clearly better heard in this context than any other.

I much preferred this album to Baaba Maal’s Lam Toro. Keeping everything to more traditional instrumentation makes much more emotional sense to me, making the most of these adapted African folk genres. It's a very hypnotic, chilled out performance with commanding, sometimes spine tingling vocals.

I'm struggling to see what all the fuss is about with Doves. They sound like a boilerplate stadium indie rock band who could not hold a candle to the likes of Elbow or Coldplay. There is nothing offensive here but also nothing better than "fine".

I find that popstars of the 2020s tend to be much better at ‘album craft’ than those from my childhood, but Christina Aguilera gives it a good go on Back to Basics. There are some era defining hits across the record but they are outnumbered on a double album which includes the occasional dud and plenty of tracks that fall somewhere in between. As with many double albums I am left feeling it would have been better lean and mean.

The quality difference between songs like Back in the Day and Ain’t No Other Man (which sit side by side on the first disc) is stark. Both tackle a clear lyrical concept head on but where the latter is a short shock of radio fuel, the former is an unwieldy, unconvincing mission statement.

I could have done with more chilled out ballads such as the excellent Thank You (Dedication to Fans…) and Hurt, or fabulous, dramatic songs such as Nasty Naughty Boy and Candy Man, all which display the “back to basics” songwriting which this album shouts about. I could have done with less vocal gymnastics throughout, but I understand that this is very much Aguilera’s brand and what was in vogue at the time.