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Time to check out another of the discographies I'm going through. This time it's

Neil Hannon, aka The Divine Comedy.
Although his debut album has apparently been disowned by him (possibly in much the same way Cold Spring Harbor was by Billy Joel) it still remains as one of his recordings, and as I have never personally heard it I think it's incumbent upon me to do so. And so we start, as we always do, and as is always advisable, at the beginning. No we don't. I cannot find a full copy of his debut anywhere, so we're going to have to skip it and go straight to his second, but the one he thinks of as his true debut.


Artiste: The Divine Comedy
Nationality: Irish
Album: Liberation
Year: 1993
Label: Setanta
Genre: Chamber pop
Tracks:
Festive Road
Death of a supernaturalist
Berniece bobs her hair
I was born yesterday
Your daddy's car
Europop
Timewatching
The pop singer's fear of the pollen count
Queen of the south
Victoria Falls
Three sisters
Europe by train
Lucy
Chronological position: Second album
Familiarity: I've heard almost all his albums at this point.
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: n/a
Best track(s): I love each and every track here.
Worst track(s):
Comments: There are so many different musical styles on this, and pretty much all of Hannon's albums, that they're hard to pigeonhole really. I mean, the opening track on this one is based on the cartoon character from the childhood of many of us, Mister Benn. A lovely piano drives the tune, with a beautiful rippling passage basically forming the chorus, as such. It's violin and cello though to take us into “Death of a supernaturalist”, with a dramatic, almost poetic feel to it, while more uptempo and poppy is the guitar-centric “Berniece bobs her hair”, and then he channels Bowie in “I was born yesterday”. Nice spoken passages against a soft guitar, the voice almost inaudible it's so low.

Off at a fine lick then for “Your daddy's car”, with what I believe may be a harpsichord leading the melody, very catchy and commercial. “Europop” is, well, a Europop song that pokes fun at the genre with a really memorable beat, including a super little organ solo that is so ironic, and then everything slows down for “Timewatching”. This is an interesting song for a few reasons. One, it's basically ripping off the entire melody of “When I fall in love”, and knows it: he even references the lyric in the song. As well as that, it comes up later in 1997's A short album about love, which in itself is odd as that is, literally, a short album: only seven tracks on it and this is one of them. Why he chose to include an “old” song on such a short album is something I don't quite understand. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful, beautiful song, with a melancholy violin and mournful cello taking the song at a snail's pace and a perfect vocal from Neil. It's one of the few songs of his that has absolutely no percussion.

Another uptempo pop song then in the Britopop-like and hilariously-titled “The pop singer's fear of the pollen count”, with a droning kind of organ running “Queen of the south”, a slower song with a somehow ominous feel to it. Great vocal harmonies on this, while “Victoria Falls” has a Simon and Garfunkel idea about it, with some really nice jangly guitar and again great vocal harmonies. A doleful organ opens “Three sisters” before it develops into a kind of industrial rock bopper, and as it ends a steam-train puffs us into “Europe by train”, the only instrumental on the whole album but just as good as any of the rest of the tracks here. We end then on “Lucy”, another fantastic little midpaced pop/rock song which brings the curtain down well on what is an album without a single solitary fault. Incredible.
Overall impression: If this were to be taken as his “real” debut, one of the very best I've ever heard. I got into this after Casanova, which blew me away, but had this been my introduction to TDC I would have been just as happy and as impressed. Superb.
Hum Factor: 10
Surprise Factor: n/a
Intention: n/a

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Artiste: John Grant
Nationality: American
Album: Pale green ghosts
Year: 2013
Label: Bella Union
Genre: Synthpop
Tracks:
Pale green ghosts
Black belt
GMF
Vietnam
It doesn't matter to him
Why don't you love me anymore
You don't have to
Sensitive new age guy
Ernest Borgnine
I hate this town
Glacier
Chronological position: Second solo album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid: The title of the album refers to a line of trees that stand on the highway outside his home
Initial impression: Oh man! Dancy synthpop? This is not what I expected
Best track(s): GMF, Vietnam, It doesn't matter to him, I hate this town, Glacier
Worst track(s): Black belt, Sensitive new age guy
Comments: Apparently John Grant used to front alternative rock band The Czars, but I don't know anything about that. I've never heard of him, so this will be a classic “Bitesize” review as I dive headlong into unknown territory. Will I bang my head on the rocks and drown? Will I swim like a dolphin in the clear blue sea? Will I even remember I can't swim? Well we open with a thick bassy synth line which gives way to an echoey vocal before the percussion kicks in. It's odd, because looking at the guy on the album sleeve synthpop is not what immediately comes to mind: I expected this to be a Country, if not Folk sort of album. Some good synth hits there add a sense of drama to the song, which I have to admit right away doesn't impress me that much, but let's give it a chance.

Ah, now here we go. The second track is much ... worse. Don't like this at all. Very disco-dancey and sort of Europop I feel. Meh. In fairness, “GMF” is much much better (seems it stands for Greatest MotherFucker), a nice acoustic-y ballad with a clever lyrical line in it and a real hook. And “Vietnam” is beautiful, with orchestral arrangements that are lush and sweeping, a soft vocal and some handclap percussion that somehow is not incongruous. The slow, laidback --- and yes, folky --- influence remains through “It doesn't matter to him”, as the album slowly but consistently gets better than I had expected, or hoped. After a rocky start, I'm really getting into this now. “Why don't you love me anymore” is darker, has a sort of almost complaining, moany feel to it, very bleak and self-pitying; not sure how I feel about it. I don't hate it, but I sure don't love it, and the addition of Sinead O'Connor on backing vocals does nothing to help.

“You don't have to” gets things back on track, some pretty mad organ in there, nice kind of stuttering bass too, not mad about “Sensitive new age guy”, too dancy and poppy for me, very electrobeat or whatever the fuck it's called; reminds me of Depeche Mode or Yazoo or some shower like that. Erasure maybe. Yeah, Erasure. Cunts. “Ernest Borgnine” slows it all down while still bringing in the thrumming, throaty synth and also some nice sax. A cool little bitter ballad with a lot of Divine Comedy in “I hate this town”; really like this one, possibly my favourite. Sort of a mad Carpenters-on-crack vibe from this too. Sinead O is back for the closer, “Glacier”, with some totally gorgeous orchestration, a laidback ballad with more bitter lyrics, it swells triumphantly in the midsection as O'Connor lends her voice, but to be honest it could be anyone; she's just not that powerful a force on this album as I've heard her be on, say, The The's Mind bomb. She tries, but Grant holds court over everything. I must say I've really grown to like this.
Overall impression: Didn't like it at first, slow to get going but once it did, with a few little valleys it's mostly really quite excellent, with sharp lyrics and a real couldn't give a fuck attitude that's refreshing.
Hum Factor: 7
Intention: I think I'll listen to some of his other stuff.

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Artiste: Night Runner
Nationality: Mexican
Album: Starfighter
Year: 2014
Label: None; Bandcamp release
Genre: Synthwave
Tracks:
After hours
Invaders
Starlight
Ride the sky
Roses and blood
Almost there
The sentinels
Nuclear countdown
The driver
Murder in Miami
Chronological position: Debut album?
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: Some pretty good electronica here
Best track(s): Um, everything really
Worst track(s): n/a
Comments: “Just two guys trying to make rad music” is the bio, as such, that you'll see if you go to the Bandcamp page of Night Runner. Which while interesting and different, does not give you much of an idea as to what kind of music you're gong to encounter. I mean, “rad” could cover a whole heap of genres couldn't it? I'm guessing, from the titles and the album cover, AOR, hard rock or maybe even metal? The “two guys” in question are Alex Dioddao and Tabique Malevolo. Well, “After hours” certainly has a synthy, poppy opening but give it time. Builds nicely for an opener, layer on layer of sound, very electronic before some sort of taped vocal cuts in, but it kind of dies out and “Invaders” comes in on strong synth and this time some nice electric guitar, high tempo, rocks nicely. No vocals yet; not sure if there will be any. “Starlight” is another uptempo synthy piece, pretty sure this is all instrumental now at this stage.

“Ride the sky” has an almost orchestral tinge to it before it kicks up into a real high energy number with handclaps and thumping percussion, some sweet bright piano lines, while “Roses and blood” is the first time these two guys slow down at all, delivering a strong, dramatic piano-led piece that just smoulders. Things pick back up then for “Almost there”, trundling along really nicely with some very expressive guitar, and “The sentinels” has a dark kind of brooding menace about it. Very infectious, very upbeat, like this a lot. Pretty definitely electronic music anyway, mostly synth-driven. “Nuclear countdown” is the first track since the opener to have vocals on it, though they're again the soundtrack to a movie I think, where someone shouts about missiles being locked in and the world shortly being at war. There's a really nice strong synth line leading this, with rippling piano and a descending synth line too. Really pretty good. Back uptempo rockin' with “The Driver”, which hurtles along like a Lambourghini cruising along a high mountain road in Monte Carlo, and we end on “Murder in Miami”, which sort of brings things down a notch and does certainly remind me of the best of Jan Hammer. Superb offering all round.
Overall impression: For two guys who aren't even signed, and for a debut, this is nothing short of stunning. If Night Runner can get a deal with some major label, they have one hell of a bright future ahead of them.
Hum Factor: 6
Intention: Keep a close eye on these guys.

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Artiste: British Sea Power
Nationality: Um, British?
Album: From the sea to the land beyond
Year: 2013
Label: Rough Trade
Genre: Instrumental, Original Soundtrack
Tracks:
From the sea to the land beyond
Remarkable diving feat
Strange sports
Heroines of the cliffs
The Guillemot girls
Suffragette riots
Heatwave
Melancholy of the boot
Be you mighty sparrow
Berth 24
Red rock riviera
Coastguard
Perspectives of Stinky Turner
Bonour Copaines
The wild highlands
Docklands renewed
The Islanders
Heatwave
Chronological position: Seventh album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid: One of the few albums I know that has one track on it twice...
Initial impression: Really nice piano opening here
Best track(s): Everything really; fantastic album
Worst track(s): n/a
Comments: Another band I know nothing about, and it would seem perhaps a bad choice, as this is a film soundtrack (well, the soundtrack to a documentary) and so is all instrumental. It's also to follow the basic idea of the film, which is one about Britain's coastlines, so there's plenty of wind sounds, surf and the opening track is led in with a grave piano almost completely solo, then on a rush not unlike a seawave breaking on the coast, trumpet, cello and percussion pile in, and I find to my surprise that this is not all instrumental as vocals come into the mix. Nice sort of jangly guitar keeping the piano company before the brass slips in again, a great start to the album I must say. The next track is much more bright and uptempo, again piano leading the line but a more indie-rock vibe to it. Sounds like mandolin there, could be wrong.

“Strange sports” has a sort of vibrating guitar line and some spooky keys, much slower and statelier than the previous track, then breaks into a nice guitar line with organ backing, then a gorgeous melancholy cello drives “Heroines of the cliff” but by contrast uptempo, boppy happy guitar runs through “The Guillemot girls”, kind of almost a Country feel to it, and it's only the second track to have vocals on it. We're back then to that stunning solo piano for “Suffragette riots” before bass picks up the beat and brings up the tempo too, and “Heatwave” is a nice midtempo instrumental.

This is a long album, eighteen tracks in all, so I'm not going to describe it track by track, but generally I have yet to hear something I don't like. Vocals come back in for “Be you mighty sparrow”, which seems to reuse the motif from the opener (and title track) and indeed uses the name, so I guess you could say it's a slightly faster version of that with words, and it's brilliant. The quality just seems to be maintained all through the album, and though at this point I'm only a little over halfway there, I can't really see this dipping dramatically, if indeed at all. Just class all the way through.

I like the way the album alternates between fast, snappy rock tunes and slower, more broody and often quite expansive almost ambient music, and the odd vocal track thrown in just kind of upsets the balance enough without ruining it, kind of keeping you on your musical toes as it were. Sometimes, like in “Red rock riviera”, the vocals come in near the end, which really surprises you and always adds to the music rather than just feel like a gimmick or as if they're shoehorned in there so that the singer doesn't feel left out. Mind you, he plays guitar too so there's nothing he needs to prove. There's a real melancholic and yet triumphant feel to “Docklands renewed”, with that cello back in evidence, and we're back with that motif again from the opener for “The Islanders” before we close on “Heatwave”, which is oddly on the album twice.

Overall impression: Superb (mostly) instrumental album, very stirring and evocative and, I guess if you're British, makes you proud. Part of the heritage indeed.
Hum Factor: 8
Intention: Will check into some of their other material now.

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Urban Hat€monger ?

Only just saw this.
I have it if you want it.

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Artiste: Anima Mundi
Nationality: Cuban
Album: The Lamplighter
Year: 2013
Label: Self-released
Genre: Progressive Rock/Symphonic Rock
Tracks:
Suite: The Lamplighter
On Earth beneath the stars
The call and farewell song
Light the lantern of your heart
The human house
Suite: Tales from endless star
The dream child behind the mask
The return Part 1
Endless star
The return part 2
His majesty love

Chronological position: Fourth album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: Nice and laidback, pastoral with a shot of space rock thrown in
Best track(s): Everything except His majesty love
Worst track(s): As above, but, you know, the other way round...
Comments: We've been doing really well recently, with four and even five-cookie ratings, so you would think we'd be on to a winner with not only a prog album, but a symphonic prog album. This is in fact the first I have experienced of any music from that troublesome little bastion of Communism down the toe-end of America, so at least it promises to be interesting. In a move that would be odd for any band other than a prog rock one, this album is divided into two suites of four tracks, with one tacked on at the end, under the subheading “Epilogue”. The first suite is simply called “The Lamplighter”, and there's certainly a nice pastoral beginning to the opener, with some soft keys and synth, then the vocal (in English, thank God!) is clear and rich, sounds like it could be a harp in the background there. There's a kind of Yes sentimentality to the song, a short one to kick off with, just over four minutes. Guitar punches in now and the vocals get kind of Genesisesque. Very impressive start. Things get a bit harder and more raw with the second track, “The call and farewell song”, with tough guitar and those trumpeting fanfare keyboards that Urban hates so much. It breaks down then into an acoustic guitar passage, some lovely flute opening “Light the lantern of your heart” (shut up) and then a soaring guitar with a pulsing bassline leading into thunderous, rolling percussion and a powerful organ (I said, shut up) with the vocal floating above this musical soundscape.

“The human house” is the final movement of this suite and is mostly instrumental, with a bitchin' guitar solo and the reprise more or less for “Light the lantern of your heart”. The second suite, called “Tales from endless star”, opens on “The dream child behind the mask”, with a kind of droney synth then a Beatlesesque flute type melody, drifting slowly like a feather in a gentle updraft. Gets quite dramatic in the later parts, with what sounds like orchestra but is I think just very good work on the keys. Superb guitar solo followed by powerful dark keys and choral vocals; definitely my favourite so far, though there's nothing here I don't like.

But then there's the harpischord and pan pipes(?) excellence of “The Return Part 1”, with some great acoustic guitar and more strings-style synth, just lovely, an instrumental which ushers us into the epic, ten-minute “Endless star”, screeching droning synth and feedback laying down the groundwork before the guitar just takes the tune by the scruff, and we're now four minutes in and no vocals, though I doubt even these guys would pen a ten-minute instrumental, to say nothing of the previous track being one. Great music though. Super piano passage as we pass into the fifth minute, so we're now halfway through.

I'm beginning to wonder, to be honest, if there are going to be any vocals. It's progressing on now to the seventh minute and really, if singing began now it would be kind of superfluous. Yeah, we're in minute nine now and there is no way this is not an instrumental, as powerful choral vocals seem to be the only voices in this epic track and it begins to move towards its grand conclusion. Vocals however are all that “The Return Part 2” consist of, totally acapella at least for the first minute or so before guitar chimes in nicely along with some soft flute. Superb guitar outro, and this closes the second suite. The final track which, as I mentioned, has “Epilogue” before it, is “His majesty love”, and is a punchy, uptempo track which kind of ruins the effect of the last part of the closing suite. Actually it's more as if it were a bonus track; just does not fit in. Pity, because it's the only low point in a really great album.
Overall impression: Superb album, totally blown away by this.
Hum Factor: 8
Intention: They have three other albums, so, you know...

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And now, the sharp dividing line which separates those who love and those who hate this man. I fall on the side of the former, not surprisingly, but I can see why a lot of people hate him. Nevertheless, this is where we begin the discography of one

Robbie Williams

In case you've been living under a rock for the last decade or so, let me advise you that Robbie Williams came out of the boyband Take That, and began a solo career in 1997 that has since elevated him to superstardom and resulted in hit singles, million-selling albums and sellout tours. His music is mostly pop, but you'll get the odd shot of rock or at least pop/rock in there too. If you haven't already made up your mind, I'd recommend approaching his music with an open mind, and concentrating on that more than the often adverse press he's received or his admittedly massive ego.


Artiste: Robbie Williams
Nationality: British
Album: Life through a lens
Year: 1997
Label: EMI
Genre: Britpop
Tracks:
Lazy days
Life through a lens
Ego a go-go
Angels
South of the border
Old before I die
One of God's better people
Let me entertain you
Clean
Baby girl window
Hello Sir (Hidden track; spoken only)
Chronological position: Debut album
Familiarity: I know most of his albums up to and including Escapology
Interesting factoid: Being his debut album, this sunk without a trace quickly on the charts. It was only the unexpected success of the single “Angels” that dragged it back into the upper echelons, eventually reaching the very top.
Initial impression: n/a
Best track(s): Life through a lens, Angels, Old before I die, One of God's better people, Let me entertain you
Worst track(s): Ego a go-go, South of the border
Comments: As a longtime sneerer at boybands, Take That not least of them, it surprised me how much I ended up liking this album. I had heard Robbie vaguely on the periphery, through singles like the aforementioned “Angels” and “Let me entertain you”, and I think it may have been to disprove my sister's contention that he really was a musical talent that I listened to this album, and had to radically change my view of him. I expected that the singles would be flanked by some real filler, and most of that written by others. But whatever you think of him, love him or hate him, or even ignore him, you can't deny Robbie Williams knows how to pen a great tune.

Right from the very start I was impressed, with the power and melody of “Lazy days”, its semi-Indian arrangement and powerful guitar riffs getting my attention right away. In an era where much of the pop music was still based around keyboards and synths, Williams was one of the new rising stars who, with Blur and Oasis and others, would reintroduce the guitar to music fans outside of the rock genre. Pretty much every song here is catchy, and most of them could have been selected as singles. It says a lot for the quality of the album that, great song though the opener is, it's really one of the weaker ones. The title track is a good poppy uptempo with a clever twist in the lyric --- ”Just because I ain't double-barrelled/ Doesn't mean I haven't travelled well” --- though oddly I feel Robbie sounds a little like Neil Tennant here.

Like most of his songs (that I've heard anyway) this has a great hook in it, and it's hard not to find yourself singing it later on, and there's some great bass and a kind of northern soul idea to “Ego a go-go” with some nice brass, while you really have to feel for Ray Heffernan. Who? Oh, he's the Irish guy who wrote “Angels” and sold it to Robbie for ten grand; the song went on to become Williams' most successful, bringing him instant stardom when it looked like he was going to fall flat on his face. I think everyone knows it by now, and it's the first ballad on the album. A beautiful song, with orchestral backing and a gorgeous piano line.

“South of the border” is great fun and features another great hook in the chorus, cool little guitar solo too, then guitar drives “Old before I die”, another single and a really catchy song, hard to ignore. Another smart lyric --- "I hope I live to see the day/ The Pope get high.” It's interesting that the idea in the lyric reverses the traditional rock mantra of “better to burn out than fade away”, which is kind of refreshing to hear. Also refreshing is acoustic guitar, which takes us into “One of God's better people”, showing how Williams excels in writing sentimental but not necessarily cloying ballads. Certainly, he's ably assisted on almost every track by songwriting partner Guy Chambers, and I don't know how much input either has into the songs, though in my review of Take the crown I noted that without Chambers, Williams' writing really suffers, so one would assume his partner was the main songwriter.

Again, most people probably know “Let me entertain you”, with its rising intro on piano and guitar, a real vehicle for what would become Williams' often out of control ego, but again it's really enjoyable. There's a lot of rock in the guitar and it's not too hard to see some of the harder rockers shaking their heads to this. On the other hand, there's a lot of soul in “Killing me”, with a really nice keyboard line leading it and a kind of ELO/Beatles midsection on violin and cello. “Clean” has a nice kind of swagger about it, with a good sharp, jaunty piano line and it certainly references his time in rehab, ending on a warped, twisted piano line to no doubt reflect the times he was out of his head.

“Baby girl window” then ties everything up really nicely, another acoustic ballad which rather unfortunately is followed by a bitter “hidden track” in which he speaks to his former teacher, reviling him for not believing in him and predicting he would go nowhere. It's understandable, yes, but a little unnecessary, and comes across as the equivalent of kicking a man who has already fallen to the ground. I'm sure the teacher was mortified, and its being a hidden track ironically would have brought it more attention than had it just been a normal one. Revenge may be best served cold, but this is pure ice. Oh well.
Overall impression: After this album I was ready to hear more Robbie Williams, and even bought his new albums as they came out. Who woulda thought it?
Hum Factor: 10
Surprise Factor 10
Intention: n/a

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Artiste: And So I Watch You From Afar
Nationality: Irish
Album: All hail bright futures
Year: 2013
Label: Sargeant House
Genre: Post rock
Tracks:
Euonoia
Big thinks do remarkable
Like a mouse
Ambulance
The Stay Golden Pt 1
The Stay Golden Pt 2 (Like rats on a rock)
The Stay Golden Pt 3 (Trails...)
Mend and make safe
Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka
Things amazing
All hail bright futures
Young brave minds

Chronological position: Third album
Familiarity: I liked their debut album; haven't heard anything else from them
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: Needs more guitars!
Best track(s): The Stay Golden Pt 1, The Stay Golden Pt 2 (Rats on a rock), Mend and make safe, All hail bright futures, Young brave minds
Worst track(s): Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka, Things amazing
Comments: I've been getting a little more into post rock recently, mostly through the “Love or Hate?” thread, and I have heard ASIWYFA before, in fact they were one of the very first bands to be reviewed here, and their debut album did impress me. That was very guitar driven though, whereas this one at least starts off on a more electronica note, with bouncy keyboards and synth, some effects as the guitars come in, and generally it's a good rather than a great start, at least in comparison to the first album. Guitar does explode into action though for “Big thinks do remarkable” (huh?) and the track has a real punch about it. Interestingly, it's the first with actual vocals, even if all they do is repeat one line.

“Ambulance” has a weird kind of metallic, industrial start before it powers up; some nice digital piano at the end. The next three tracks are all part of one “suite”, going under the umbrella title of “The Stay Golden”. Part 1 has that upbeat dancy sort of keyboard that kicked off the album, gives way to a vocal line halfway through, but again it's just one line repeated. Sort of Mariachi style ending and then Part 2 has a real Caribbean/Calypso feel about it, while “Mend and make safe” has a tremendous, infectious energy. Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka, on the other hand, is clever but quickly becomes very annoying. As does the lacklustre “Things amazing”. The title track then is straight out of a prog rock album, marching along on a thick bouncy keyboard line with a really nice melody and some vague vocals in there too. The album ends well, with a powerful flourish as “Young brave minds” brings proceedings to a close.
Overall impression: It's that thing with post rock again. I mean, this is a very good album, but the instrumental nature of it makes it a little hard for me to properly review it, at least in this format. Not quite as good perhaps as their debut but a worthy successor to it.
Hum Factor: 5
Surprise Factor - 6
Intention: They have a new one out last month so I may listen to that.

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Artiste: Sleep Thieves
Nationality: Irish
Album: You want the night
Year: 2014
Label: Minty Fresh Records
Genre: Dark Synthpop
Tracks:
City of hearts
Sparks
You want the night
Oceans
French kiss
Ishimura
Through a sea
High
Tusk
Casiotone lover
Chronological position: Debut album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid: A band who met over Twitter? It happened.
Initial impression: Very eighties new-wave dark feel to this
Best track(s): City of hearts, You want the night, Through a sea, Tusk
Worst track(s): Ishimura, High
Comments: Sort of bouncy, throaty synth with clapping drums opens up the album with a very eighties new wave feel as “City of hearts” kicks things off. The vocals of Sorsha Brennan are very clear and almost operatic at times, kind of reminds me in ways of Propaganda. Good backing vocals too. “Sparks” is more uptempo, with a real punch to it, while the title track slows things down a little with a darker tinge and a truly lovely vocal. The male vocals contrast well with those of Brennan. We're off at full synth tilt then for “Oceans”, with again dark, almost tortured and guttural vocals meshing with the clear, soft voice of Sorcha.

Very deep and dark then for “French kiss”, powerful drum hits and some very sharp guitar. Big cinematic introduction to “Ishimura”, with some great orchestral hits, and there's something very atmospheric, even poetic about “Through a sea”, quite celtic in a way. I hear a lot of the style of School of Seven Bells here, which is no bad thing. Turns into something of a trance workout, but still with the dark ambience about it. I don't really get that much from “High” but “Tusk” is much better, with a slow, moody pace and some crying guitar as well as a very ominous piano line.

The closer is called “Casiotone lover” and has a dark, almost menacing synth line backed by some perhaps incongruously light drumbeats, then a high keyboard melody that really brings the song to life. It's a slow, almost plodding tempo, quite sparse really, an interesting choice to end the album.
Overall impression: I'm still not sure if this kind of dark pop is for me, but for what it is, this is a pretty good effort, and the added bonus of these guys being Irish makes it easier to like it.
Hum Factor: 6
Surprise Factor: 5
Intention: I guess I'll see what they come up with next.

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Artiste: (The Lord Weird) Slough Feg
Nationality: American
Album: Ape uprising!
Year: 2009
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Heavy Metal
Tracks:
The Hunchback of Notre Doom
Overborne
Ape uprising
Simian manifesto
Shakedown at the Six
White cousin
Ape outro
Nasty hero

Chronological position:Seventh album
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid: The band's name comes from a character in one of the stories in 2000AD. Ah, ya can't get away from it in my journals!
Initial impression: Dark, doomy, morbid but with a certain flair
Best track(s): White cousin
Worst track(s):Shakedown at the Six, Nasty hero
Comments: Those of you who know me will knwo why I got this album. In the 2000AD strip “Slaine”, there is a character called The Lord Weird Slough Feg, a kind of dark druid. He's bloody hilarious, saying things such as “Stupid boy! This meat is fresh! I only eat rancid flesh! Go get me something stale and rotting from the bins!” and giving advice like “If you can't afford to feed her, may I suggest you eat Granny?” So this band were going to be on my radar, whether they suck or become my new favourite. Plus they're metal. Slough Feg (sometimes they use the full name but often drop the first three words) have been in existence since 1990 apparently, and this is their seventh album, of which they now have, at the time of writing, nine. I'm not sure whether this is a) a concept album (though you would think so with a title like that and the songs mirroring same) or b) anything to do with the movie franchise for Planet of the Apes but at any rate it kicks off with a biting guitar as “The Hunchback of Notre Doom” takes us in, with indeed a Doom Metal feel.

It's slow and grindy, crunching along and when the vocal comes in it's dark and growly, though very understandable. The song itself is like a lament, and does seem to be based on the famous Alexander Dumas character. So perhaps not a concept album after all. “Overborne” speeds everything up, kicking along nicely with some fine guitar work, while the title track keeps things flying along well, though it is perhaps a little stretched at just over ten minutes. Some sort of eastern influences in the melody, bit of a celtic swing too.

“Simian manifesto” has a lot of energy and aggression about it. Excellent drumming with a sort of seventies hard rock idea in the guitar and a kind of boogie near the end. Nice. Departing from what has been, up to now, something of a continuing narrative, “Shakedown at the Six” is one of those hard-driving road warrior songs. And for what it is it's good but it's nothing terribly special. A very Lizzy style to the guitars that open “White cousin”, then it goes acoustic for a bit and it's probably one of the better tracks on this, which is just as well, as I was so unimpressed up to now that I was having real problems selecting tracks that were better than mediocre.

“Ape outro” has a lot of eighties Iron Maiden in it, some very good shredding, and returns to the slow grind of the opening right at the end. I guess that's closing out the ape storyline as such then. This leaves us with just one more track, and “Nasty hero” is a decent fret workout and a good song, but again there's nothing terribly distinctive or special about it.
Overall impression: Other than the name, and one track, the final sentence of the review above says it all. Fairly pedestrian, generic metal and nothing really that I haven't heard a hundred times before. Something of a disappointment.
Hum Factor: 3
Surprise Factor: - 8
Intention: Unlikely I will bother checking out their eight other albums now.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018