Mint Julep - In A Deep and Dreamless Sleep

New album from husband-wife duo Mint Julep, In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep out 19th March from Western Vinyl

Following on from 2019's sumptuous release Stray Fantasies, the duo of Hollie and Keith Kenniff return with a kaleidoscopic and dreamy shoegaze pop venture that is at times an extension of the previous album and a progression of the creative partnership.

From the album opener 'A Rising Sun' this is not merely an album but a mood piece of contemplation - the sun of the track is breaking through the fuzzy fog we as a listener may find ourselves in as we cope with the mounting pressures of a global pandemic and the stresses upon a person's mental health.

The rich harmonies between the two are on display on track two, 'Black Maps' with its pulsing underlying bassline and gorgeous vocals by Hollie. This track is perhaps the most familiar song structure from the pair, yet as Keith Kenniff explains, 'Our previous material tended to be structured largely in a verse/chorus setting, but these songs are more free flowing and through-composed with a focus on mood and texture.'

The ability to alter your songwriting structure from one means to another allowing the moment or feeling to navigate the song is expressed throughout the album as a shape-shifting quality rarely seen amongst groups. Yet if pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we have to learn to adapt to thrive or move forward in the post-Covid world.

The whole album seems and definitely feels like a construct of work from an alternative dimension or perhaps five minutes into the future; from the ethereal album cover featuring a multi-coloured mysterious shape dwelling near a cave - is it escaping or entering? - to the dreamy mood of psychedelia and imagination which runs the full gamut of spectrums available.

At times sparse but at other times highly emotive, this album has something for everyone and covers a range of mysticism through the use of synthesizers and guitars creating an absorbing ambient collection of romantic dream pop.

In A Deep and Dreamless Sleep is out 19th March from Western Vinyl 

Follow Mint Julep on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Robbie and Mona 'EW'

The dreampop duo Robbie and Mona release their debut album, EW, out on January 29th via Spinny Nights. 

The partnership of William Carkeet and Eleanor Gray, Robbie & Mona have found a vessel for their eclectic and atmospheric pop, combining hazy shimmering synths matched with Mona’s understated vocals.

The project began when William offered to produce Eleanor’s second album; that collaboration quickly transcended into the genesis of what is now Robbie & Mona. The majority of EW was recorded in the cellar of Bristol’s legendary The Louisiana, with additional bedroom recordings.

The album as a whole is a mystical and hypnotic collection of tracks for the alternative soundtrack to a film you have never seen before, or perhaps the greatest film David Lynch has never made.

Yet there was a far odder inspiration for this track, as Mona explains: “It’s about feeling quite passive and ghost-like, like you’re in the wrong realm, just an observer. The intro vocals were delivered without any thought in a bit of a daze.

“I think the tightness of the music was weirdly inspired by Napoleon Dynamite. We were watching it and really enjoyed how all the songs towards the end were just so deadpan.”

As members of that Bristolian collective Pet Shimmers, there is a fearlessness of combining sonic textures with familiar song structures, yet the songs carry that vibe of lo-fi indie. The album explores emotional complication and the feeling of alienation – it rewards multiple listens.

While Pet Shimmers are prolific, this wave of collectivism and collaboration is rife currently in British music - from that band to Black Country, New Road to the Glaswegian Nightshift - seemingly there is nothing wrong with having strength in numbers and in this currently mad world, the case for community and togetherness is more apparent and necessary.

This minimalist approach to composition helps create an atmospheric aura of work for this duo who embrace harmony and theatricality to wonderful effect.

From 'Queen Celine' a short nugget of fragmentation, a short story over a short running time with this beautiful clash of angry guitars by Robbie yet soulful vocals by Mona.

EW is out on January 29th from Spinny Nights records

Robbie & Mona - Wallpaper

FOLLOWING the announcement of another lockdown, the dreampop duo Robbie and Mona are happy to announce the delayed release of their debut album, EW, out on January 23rd via Spinny Nights. And they’re teasing for it today with the video for the single drop, “Wallpaper”.

The partnership of William Carkeet and Eleanor Gray, Robbie & Mona have found a vessel for their eclectic and atmospheric pop, combining hazy shimmering synths matched with Mona’s understated vocals.

The project began when William offered to produce Eleanor’s second album; that collaboration quickly transcended into the genesis of what is now Robbie & Mona. The majority of EW was recorded in the cellar of Bristol’s legendary The Louisiana, with additional bedroom recordings.

Influence by film soundtracks, “Wallpaper” would not be out of place in a David Lynch movie: that mix of tenderness and climactic synths, with guitars used sparingly around programmed drums.

Yet there was a far odder inspiration for this track, as Mona explains: “It’s about feeling quite passive and ghost-like, like you’re in the wrong realm, just an observer. The intro vocals were delivered without any thought in a bit of a daze.

“I think the tightness of the music was weirdly inspired by Napoleon Dynamite. We were watching it and really enjoyed how all the songs towards the end were just so deadpan.”

As members of that Bristolian collective Pet Shimmers, there is a fearlessness of combining sonic textures with familiar song structures, yet the songs carry that vibe of lo-fi indie. The album explores emotional complication and the feeling of alienation – it rewards multiple listens.

This minimalist approach to composition helps create an atmospheric aura of work for this duo who embrace harmony and theatricality to wonderful effect.

Follow Robbie and Mona on Facebook and Instagram.

The album is out on January 23rd from Spinny Nights

Sen Morimoto - Self-title LP Review

 

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Sen Morimoto releases his self-titled second album from Sooper Records on October 23rd.

This album is much anticipated and comes on the back of much fanfare from the much touted Morimoto, who remains much of an enigma on this side of the Atlantic.

Living in Chicago, Morimoto is a producer, rapper and while not necessarily a jack of all he is definitely a master of collaboration using label mates and friends from the Chicago indie label scene such as Lala Lala, NNAMDI, KAINA, Qari and Japanese electronic artist AAAMYYY.

Morimoto has been a busy person since releasing his debut album in 2018 and touring the world, as well as being a member of Chicago jazz collective, Resavoir and being musical producer of Kaina's breakout Next To The Sun and becoming part owner of Sooper Record Label, his own label on which this record is released.

Morimoto uses a wide array of musical genres and influences across this sumptuous and kaleidoscopic release evidenced in the single Woof which has a 60s jingle jangle guitar riff which harks back to Beatles cast offs, his voice is velvety over the production meaning this is not only a pleasing artist to listen to but he is also accessible due to his variety.

Perhaps the man himself can explain the concept of the album better: “Thematically, the album explores self-examination–the way reality breaks the distortion of subjective experience. Focusing on minutia, the album highlights the ways that our learned habits, such as shameful desires and righteous ideals, are inherited by everyday motions of modern American life. The grotesque and ignored emerging in dreams, begin to inform a cruel reality. Touring through a world on a wire, my dreams, in harrowing vibrant color, began to cross the threshold into my waking life. My self-titled album comes as a statement from somewhere in between those two worlds.”

Morimoto has shot for the moon with this album, an album of ambition married with unlimited potential has become one of this year's best albums. An album that comes along once in a while that becomes one of constant repeat plays in coffee houses and bars (when we can frequent them), this is helped by being not merely one of Morimoto's ability but in this day and age of a world becoming smaller an album of collaboration - he is cleverly using his platform as the opportunity to give that same platform to artists to gain access to the mainstream such as those mentioned before. Their parts are not throwaways but vital calling cards for the song and themselves.

At times hypnotic, at times intellectual at times flat out fun and funky; there will be something for everyone on this album ranging from cool chillout (The Box), electronic harmony (Goosebumps), chic rap (Daytime But Darker) to far out RnB (Jupiter) with a spaced out twist.

Sen Morimoto has given the world an album about the world and all the people in it, from all corners and how their voices can become one when given a chance to be heard.

Sen Morimoto is out from Sooper Records on October 23rd.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Still Corners - The Last Exit

 Still Corners have released their first music from their forthcoming fifth studio album, due for release on 22nd January 2021. The title track 'The Last Exit' is available now on all platforms.

Lead single/Title track from Still Corners' fifth album

There is an accompanying video in support of the track which is below

The musical project of Greg Hughes and Tessa Murphy, the group formed after a chance meeting when waiting for a train in London in 2009. Over the last decade the band have produced a steady stream of romantic and reflective music.

Signed to Sub Pop quickly after, they released two albums with the label before forming their own label Wrecking Light to release Dead Blue in 2016 and Slow Air in 2018 to critical acclaim.

The first single, is the final chapter of the Still Corners' road trilogy. What began with 'The Trip' and was followed by 'The Message' concludes with the stunning 'The Last Exit'. The video inspired by Peter Weir's 1975 classic Picnic at Hanging Rock finds Tessa pulled into the mysterious rocks of Joshua Tree.

Tessa explains: "In a world where everyone thinks all the corners of the map are filled in we like to suggest there's something beyond that, something eternal in the landscape and in our psyche.  Maybe you don't see it every day but it's there and that's what we are trying to connect to."

With a galloping beat and silver tone guitar creating this hypnotic hippy sound, The Last Exit races down a highway to destination unknown a bracing bout of elegance of a world unseen.

The album listing consists of 11 tracks:

• 1. The Last Exit
• 2. Crying
• 3. White Sands
• 4. Till We Meet Again
• 5. A Kiss Before Dying
• 6. Bad Town
• 7. Mystery Road
• 8. Static
• 9. It's Voodoo
• 10. Shifting Dunes
• 11. Old Arcade

Tessa further remarks on how the pandemic has brought a different focus on the album: “There's always something at the end of the road and for us it was this album. Our plans were put on hold – an album set for release, tours, video shoots, travel. We’d been touring nonstop for years, but we were forced to pause everything. We thought the album was finished but with the crisis found new inspiration and started writing again.” 

To learn more about the band go to their website or follow them on Twitter.

The fifth album from Still Corners The Last Exit is out on 22nd January 2021 from Wrecking Light Records, pre-order link here

Galaxians - Chemical Reaction

The second album from Leeds disco funk trio, Galaxians, out via Stargaze, on 26th June.

During the lockdown period and Covid-19 crisis, the music I have reviewed has been mostly works of internal reflection and contemplation, there has not been that music which has been reactionary in a sense of letting your hair down. We forget that the weather has been glorious throughout this period of personal isolation with temperatures soaring to nearly 30 degrees.

This new album release from Leeds' Galaxians is the album this period of prolonged sunshine has been asking for, a burst of potent sunshine that we need for these periods of barbecues and gardening.

Starting off with the title track not merely as a statement of intent, it is a statement of direct persuasiveness, Chemical Reaction is a jolt of five plus minutes of funk that does not give you the vocals of Emma Mason until two plus minutes into the track. The track is a burst of vibrant energy full of retrospective sounds but full of influence and the DIY scene.

Mason along with Matt Woodward (drums) and Jed Skinner (synths) are a band that they themselves refer to as fuelled by 'too much coffee and too many donuts'.  It is this carefree nature that feeds into the tracks ranging from 'Heartbreaker' about female empowerment to 'Not the Money' about working for the pride of working.

This harkens back to old-school summer vibes of Montell Jordan, Coolio yet with the influence of Roisin Murphy in the vocal delivery of Mason; there is the 80s post-disco funk of Evelyn King for example along with boogie, garage and basslines aplenty.

Tracks remind this listener of that other great disco album of the 21st Century, that of the Scissor Sisters debut album which had that infusion of pop and disco cred, this is more akin to that band's apex along with Moloko - a titanic female lead vocalist with cool production chops to match.

Chemical Reaction is out from June 26th and is available here.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Pet Shimmers 'Face Down in Meta'

New album from Bristiol six-piece PET SHIMMERS out now

Led by Oliver Wilde, the Bristolians, hot on the heels of other British groups who can count above four, see Black Country, New Road; are a band who take issues of personality and self and weave with it an array of musical influences from electronica to jazz to funk to pop.

The final record FACE DOWN IN META is a carefully assembled collection of sonic wonder which reminds this listener of 2018's Spirit of the Beehive.

Lead single 'Post-Dick Circle Fuck' deals with body positivity and the media creation of perfection; while these can sound loud in their earnestness their is a soft subtleness to the production, not overbearing and look at me format but more a look at what we can do appreciation.

'Super Natural Teeth' is a great track, a song of harmony, drive and ambition with technical accomplishment on full display, it is the second track on the album following the short opener and serves as a key point of the band's intention.

Which is followed by the trippy 'Mortal Sport Argonaut' this may be Zappa like song titles, but there is an invitation here to come and explore, the music is not off putting but more contributory, they have done the hard work they just need you to listen to complete the project; this is an album where different people will garner different emotional responses to the music. This makes for an exciting moment to review and share.

The plethora of potential on offer from such a unique album is palpable, Wilde may be the ringleader but with his cohorts - Will Carkett, Richard Clarke, Ellie Gray, Lexie Jennings, Mig Schillace and Florrie Adamson-Leggit - this is a band who are ripe not only for more airplay but a greater fanbase which is sure to grow when the festival season comes around.

The album will garner a greater understanding upon further listens, yet second single 'Tyson' is a winner of the softness again, small keynotes branching out into a vaster more hypnotic sound.  The band harness mixing, loops, archive footage to create a piece of artistic credibility amongst the three note chord challenge taking place on normal indie releases.

The album is available now on all formats or from the bandcamp page here.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

The band are on tour with (Sandy) Alex G in the UK and Europe throughout February.

Mint Julep - Stray Fantasies

Wife and husband duo, Mint Julep, release new album Stray Fantasies on 31st January from Western Vinyl

Mint Julep are Hollie and Keith Kenniff, a partnership born out of a deep love for synthesisers and electro pop, and this has been curated towards the album Stray Fantasies, a twelve track album full of pop nuggets dripping with basslines, punching drums and electro heaven.

This can be expressed in the new single 'Escape' a disco tinged gem, and there are many exciting tracks on the album to discover from opening track 'Blinded' to 'Just For Today' a song that would not look out of place on Pet Shop Boys discography.




When listening to the album there is a buzz you get from enjoying it that you rarely feel with other electro-pop fare; the fizz of melodies coupled with Hollie's winning vocal delivery and the professional production makes this a winning combination in life and love.

All in all this will be a great album for fans of New Order and other electro pop trendsetters, and there are tracks ripe on her for remixing for the club scene as well as crossing over to indie darling-dom as the wave of shoegazing is here also.

Stray Fantasies is out on 31st January from Western Vinyl

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Annie Hart 'A Softer Offering'

Annie Hart's new solo album A Softer Offering is out on Friday 13th December.

Annie Hart is back with her latest solo record, and for the end of the year it is a lovely album perfect for reflecting upon the last hectic 12 months, when we are off work and give ourselves the chance to contemplate on the year past.

The nine-track album is a construction of beauty and effortless composition and yet full of sophistication and poetry; this is certainly for fans of Daughter, who encapsulate that pursuit for low-fi with a stylistic combination evoking wonder and awe.

Working with keyboards, synthesizers and electronica; Hart sets her stall out from the opening track 'Wilderness Hill' at times haunting, melodic yet charming in its balance, with an almost acapella vocal from Hart.

Hart herself states:

“I wanted to give listeners that chance to breathe, to relax.  A soundtrack for painting or lying in the grass. I thought a lot about what music I play for myself when I want to make a moment feel complete. There’s just something different when you play soft music during these ordinary spaces in life, and I wanted to make a soundtrack for that. Sounds that undulate in minimal movement, that you can pay very close attention to, or leave space around if you need to have your own thoughts.  I hope this record helps stretch those unfortunately rare times in our lives when we have moments to be peaceful.” 

Based in New York; Hart has written the most un-New York album you could imagine, one of softness compared to the epicness of the Big Apple. Her work as part of David Lynch favourites Au Revoir Simone has helped her branch into a glistening solo career. Her minimalistic style with pieces of new wave and shoe gazing culminates in her soundtrack work featuring on two 2020 film release 'Olympic Dreams' and 'Banana Split'.

Her ear for a good soundtrack can be heard on 'Longing to Care Less' a song that breathes as it slowly builds to crescendo, and the perfect marriage of vocal and sound is seen on 'Don't Breathe For Me' a song that sounds very much from the early 1980s - the stripped back nature of the composition is a winning combination.

'Clean Floors' is a wonderous track as Hart's vocals again take centre stage; a personal take on relationships which will be able to appeal to a wide audience as the song instructs you to pay attention to what this artist is saying without coming across pompous or clingy.

Hart is certainly an artist to watch out for, an album such as this deserves attention and patience; and if you are patient you will certainly return to this offering regularly; the potential offered in this album is startling, it is easy to see that Hart has a big future ahead of her, here is hoping this album can connect with a larger mainstream audience.

A Softer Offering is out on Friday 13th December on all streaming services.
My thanks to OneBeatPR for the review opportunity.

Private Life by Tempers

New York based duo, Tempers, have released their new album Private Life on Dais Records.

The duo comprise of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, and the band are nowned for incorporating dark indie, electronica and synthesizers into their three albums to date.

Private Life though is something far different than their previous work; they have honed their minimalist craft to create this unique document of living in this melancholic world at the moment.

From the opening track 'Capital Gains' there is a sense of opening up from an internal world of liking other people's interests and focus on your own.

The song titles back this up an introspective notion from 'Peace of Mind' to 'Push/Pull', these are songs about loneliness and melancholy whilst living in the big city.

While some songs can be described as electronic dirge, this is integral to creating the soundscape necessary to an album; which breathes when you listen to it in one sitting. It may be sombre but there is a sense of uplifting by the time of track 8, 'More Than You Realized'.

All in all, electronica is a difficult genre to nail as it can become out and out dull, yet Tempers have created a unique atmosphere that personally would be great to hear on an album and one that is befitting the current mood of alienation travailing across the many spheres.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

It Looks Sad. 'Sky Lake'

The debut album Sky Lake from It Looks Sad. is released by Tiny Engines on 9th November

The first material from this pair in nearly three years, It Looks Sad hail from Charlotte, North Carolina a region of America which has beaches and gorgeous coastal lines but nothing that would make you think of rich Californian beaches in the pure sunshine.

Following band changes, the band now comprise of the duo Jimmy Turner (vocalist and keyboardist) and Alex Ruiz (drummer). Despite the hiatus Turner has not stopped writing and progressively has moved from the earnest writing of three years ago to a more formative composition; writing songs within a sonic landscape.  He asks you to embrace the sound and feel of the record.

Starting with the shimmering thumping of 'Shave' it tells us that there is a series of two-minute interludes which continues with the wonderful 'Bike'. The album is full of hooks worthy of comparison to their label mates Spirit of the Beehive and the UK's own Night Flowers. 

There has been this recent uptick in albums of quantity married with quality - bands want to be short but sweet to linger with your earworms a la Frankie Cosmos and Tony Molina. Maybe this is indicative of the lack of attention span in people nowadays, but if new bands feel this is a sow to plough then its fine by me.

From the pulsating 'Sisters' to the gorgeous 'Palms', this is an album full of priceless pop and at some points reaches moments of glory from a bygone 80s album.

Sky Lake is an album full of summer shimmers and magnificent pop that will make you smile and groove.

Sky Lake is out from Tiny Engines on all formats from Friday 9th November

Kevin Krauter 'Toss Up'

Debut album release from Kevin Krauter, Toss Up is released from Bayonet Records

Indiana native Kevin Krauter has built up a loyal following in his home state, and whilst the music has slowly gathered a wave of momentum; Krauter is releasing his debut album and the result is Toss Up.

Toss Up proudly wears a wide range of influences from 60s flower pop, 80s yacht rock and upto the modern day indie rock.  There is a shimmer to the music that is both transcendent and illuminating; full of good will and a smoothness that is rarely heard in music recently.

From the ear worm radio friendly 'Suddenly' to the chilled out 'Keep Falling in Love' there is a confidence in the music that permeates from the earphones and yet there is a richness in the complexity of the production; a mixture of rhythmic intricacies and bold melodic artistry.

Krauter has composed an album that is full of lushness and beauty, one that should be shared by all at poolsides, equally aspirational and ambitious it is one of the better albums to come from America in recent times one that is easy on the ear that slowly penetrates your memory and consciousness.

Toss Up is released from Bayonet Records on 13th July.
My thanks to One Beat PR for the opportunity to review.