Sky Larkin

The Golden Spike

I must confess that I have never quite got Sky Larkin. Sure, Katie is charm to a tee, Nestor is a lively and possibly deranged drummer, Douglas Adams... writes comic sci-fi and plays bass, but the niceness and indie pop appeal just didn't cackle my gladdies. After wrapping my ears around this little beauty though… Oh boy do I get it and get it good. Don't bother reading this review, just get the bloody thing.

Right, I'm getting all histrionic, so before I vanish up my own posterior, let's get things going. From the joyous, chaotic explosion of guitar, bass and ululation that opens to the closing samba ralentando, this is one happy piece. No song goes over four minutes, so what you get are little concentrated chunks of indie optimism, full of infectious hooks and quirky beats; it is a clever trick to make everything sound so familiar yet remain non-generic. Nineties proto-emo riffs go head on with Brit pop languor and Gallic post-rock individuality– just listen to the open chord hooks of 'Molten' or the Brit Pop stinger of 'Beeline'... and don't get me started on the keyboard hop, skip and jump of 'Keepsakes.'

I've deliberately neglected to mention Katie's voice because I feel it needs to be dealt with individually. She is charming, yes, and I am sure I've mentioned the term 'elfin', but it's not otherworldliness that's going on here. Her voice is the sound of hopscotch games, protest marches, teenage indignance – the tangible and homely. The words split , the pitch rises and falls, sometimes crushed, sometimes soaring but always, always optimistic and perky – the playground mockery of 'Pica', the syllable-dicing anticipation of 'One of Two', the terrifying murderous affectionate logic of 'Keepsakes'; all utterly listenable and lyrically surprising.

Not that I am one for lyrics... they certainly do dress a song... but there's a whole geology rock thing going on here. Katie sings about driving the golden spike, eating coal 'to make diamonds,' (an intriguing yet uncomfortable biological prospect) and 'sentiment stretched over sediment and soil'...they even have a song called 'Geography', which only adds to that down to earth (ha) feel. It's like poetry being written by the NUM, only happier.

For me, though, the seller is the unexpected flash of darkness provided by 'Keepsakes', a cheery tale of a partner being chopped up as keepsakes to be kept safe and sound. This was the sort of darkness that made the Auteurs and Black Box Recorder so irresistible, and what gives me the push to get Sky Larkin. Curses that my black and flinty heart can leap with such joy. Nigh on bloody perfect.

Rob Wright

Nem

The Centre Stage

Like Australian reggae or Irish country rock, there's something strangely intrigueing about NEM's Sheffield accent when it cuts through on The Centre Stage. It's not how you naturally expect rap to sound - we're used to our rappers, hip hop collectives or grime stars having either an LA drawl or a cockney swagger. But a Yorkshire accent?

It actually means The Centre Stage can deal with issues and subjects a local audience can relate to, in a voice they can identify with. True, there's still the typical hip-hop lyrics about the ladies – but they're lyrics more in touch with reality than painting a sexist, unlikely picture of overweight rappers fighting off the sexually-charged supermodels dropping at their feet.

Fresh Kicks and In Your Face work really well – but the Sheffield accent does, however, occasionally undermine the more serious tracks with almost comedy effect.

Because whilst there's plenty of material here to soundtrack cruising down West Street, The Centre Stage also has its tender moments. Like most tracks here, they come accompanied with a recognizable hook – most blatantly on Secret Smile, which takes the hypnotic organ from Semisonic's 1999 hit as a basis, with NEM building upon the original track's sentiment with a words describing a girl he's fallen for.

Trying To Run, featuring James Atha of Manchester band Highwire, is a highlight - and brings together indie and hip hop in a way rarely heard before.

The open-mindedness on The Centre Stage marks out NEM as a ground-breaking artist: not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, or sample a 90s indie hit, he's provided Sheffield with a home-grown talent that looks behind the grime of the steel city – whilst still providing a grime-influenced soundtrack to Sheffield's vibrant nightlife.

David Smith

Northerner

The Ridings / Remixes

Martin Cummings a.k.a. Northerner introduces us to his debut double long player of chill-out bliss, courtesy of the newly formed Saltaire label, Home Assembly Music. The theme here is definitely a winter, as sparse melancholic but nonetheless captivating acoustic musings from someone clearly in a reflective mood are the order of the day. We're treated to a haunting blend of strings, woodwind and new age synth, all seamlessly bound together with twists of Gallic electronica and occasional dub, creating an overall feeling of the rugged outdoors. In fact, parts of this sound like they were recorded especially for the soundtrack to the next series of Northern Skies, particularly the opening number and title track which culminates with the sound of seagulls, presumably recorded at some breathtaking and deserted coastal location. Don't let this put you off however, as Mr Cummings clearly knows what he's trying to create, and has clearly drunk from the cup of worthy influences. In this case, Boards of Canada, Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Jean Michel Jarre sound like they've provided pointers. If there are any particular high points to the album then it's where the guitar comes to the fore, including 'Caroline,' sounding like it was recorded in a cave but proving in this instance that simplicity really works.

On first listen, the Remixes album is a little disappointing as it doesn't markedly differ in tempo or mood. Parts of it do grow with repeat visits, perhaps most notably on the two remixes of 'The Cut', firstly transporting you to an altogether more urban setting (Shipley Glen Remix), before returning you on a magic carpet to more familiar ground (Portal Remix)

Ambient works such as this are a bit of an acquired taste, but listening to this whilst enjoying a coastal sunset should be a match made in heaven for anyone.

Mike Price

Navvy

Idyll Intangible

There's something completely irresistible about Navvy which all seems to come together in one glorious lo-fi pop carnival. This is the noise any self-respecting teenager wants coming out of his room to say to the world, 'Hey, you down there, get a load of this.'

Each song seems to fit in its own perfectly formed bubble where Claire Hill and Keith Jones sing about the strangest of things. The world they live in is not interested in the boy-meets-girl school of song writing. Oh no. Much better to write a song about a plastic bag, or a building or a TV documentary you've just watched. The world of Navvy is the world of the mundane and the ordinary, which have been chosen for the subject of one of their brash, staccato, all-over-in-under-three-minutes, pop masterpieces. 'My new Building. It's very modern. My new Building' sings Keith. Makes you want to actually be with him, just to see what the place looks like! The only time they delve into the world of relationships, it all gets turned on its head. In 'Letters' as soon as Keith says he sent some flowers and letters, keyboard/percussion player Claire shouts back, with a sort of alt-duet mentality, 'I sent them back!'.

Navvy have come together as side-projects or splinters from such diverse bands as Texas Pete, Theory and Wisconsin Death Trip and have finally made it into the studio under the expert tutelage of Alan Smyth. Amongst other things they've used seven vintage synths, and, in true retro style, all 13 songs were recorded in just 8 days. The sound they have produced is prickly, exciting and never less than thrilling. The songs are as bright and shiny as Sheffield steel, as they twist and turn under the onslaught of angular guitar chords and percussion attacks. An album as individual as it is entertaining.

Vivian Bonzo

L-Mo

Got Guntion?

The sound of this record is wide and varied, which makes it both interesting and infuriating at the same time. Luke Moseley certainly has a distinctive voice and opener 'Who's Doing What to Who?' is a pleasant enough affair, driven along by a strong acoustic sound. 'Contagious', meanwhile, is a completely different proposition, sounding like a Justin Timberlake cover version with its R 'n' B/ Garage vibe. The album is packed with strong choruses, but it often takes too long to get there and the songs as a whole are let down by some bland lyrics.

At its best this album sounds innovative compared to other acoustic artists on the market, but too often it slips into mediocrity. The varying styles show L-Mo to be a talented artist, but he needs to channel his efforts into one particular area to fulfil his potential.

Joe De Saulles

Say

Multiverse

Carefully bumbling around their homemade marsh mellow forest, in an eco-bubble of tranquillity, SAY seem to bring a bygone era of flower power, ban the bomb and free love, to life. This is not to say their songs are lacking any militancy; topics ranging from governmental secrets to the torrid ethos of today's media and animal rights show SAY's musical mind is clearly focussed on the current plights of the world. The delivery through an instantly recognisable Beach Boys-esque genre dilutes any snarl or growl that usually accompanies such topics. Any hints of self-righteous, political, de la Rocha rants are swamped by pristine vocal harmonies. Anti-governmental tirades are replaced by upbeat melodies that conjure up visions of the largest sunbathed daisy fields. Yes, Multiverse is something of a relic from a time where freedom and hope were ubiquitous, where boundaries didn't exist and where anything was possible with a little collective belief and will power. It all amounts to a charming collection of songs, each one instilling a contagious optimism.

It's a rarity by today's standards to encounter music such as this, that doesn't sound contrived, but SAY effortlessly master a forgotten genre. There will no doubt a hint of irony running through Multiverse, but this self-awareness makes them all the more accessible. Most striking is the authenticity of numbers such as 'For You', which - but for the absence of the nostalgic crackle of vinyl – would easily pass as a rare vintage find in Piccadilly Records. If you struggle with tree-hugging, hippie, joy-a-lots (tongue in cheek or not), you may start to feel the encroaching horror of a twee-overdose by the end of the album. Never-the-less, Multiverse is a rarity, full of musical talent and song writing ability that pushes the mind's fantastical limits into the realms of Paganism and liberalism. Intriguing and a genuinely different.

Simon S Wright

Suzi Won

Bleak Ends

For Suzi Won to have been signed up by a record company gives hope to any budding musician out there. If they had arrived on the scene at the turn of the century then they might have be considered more relevant, but still equally as bad. Sounding like a tuneless Linkin Park, their debut is an incredibly uninspired effort with its unoriginal, bland lyrics combined with a keyboard sound lifted straight from Donkey Kong. This band sounded dated before they'd even started.

Joe De Saulles

Sound Marshals

Sound Marshals

Another virulently patriotic Manchester band failing to realise that by perpetuating the ancient 'Manchester Sound' is simply undermining themselves as a new, progressive artist. Lyrics are often held dear by those who pen them, so one has to be careful when casting a critical gaze. That said, I dread to think of the amount of times lyrics like “sometimes I feel like screaming out, what's it really all about?” have being scrawled on an anguished teenager's science book. Hollow and endlessly meaningless. “I've got to get away from here…” Yes, lots of us do. Forgive the cynicism, but with wordsmithery high on the agenda of music listeners, blandness is not an option. Sound Marshals argue they create lyrics 'so catchy they will literally etch themselves to the inside walls of your brain'. This is probably because you've almost definitely heard them sung by someone else, somewhere before. Aside from the well of vocal clichés, Sound Marshals' eponymous album does redeem it's self with some powerful and well mixed drums, catchy guitar parts and a drive that escapes many bands who fall into a similar category.

At times - certainly during the chorus of 'Static' - there are glimmers of the Manic Street Preachers angst alas, minus the conviction needed for it to carry any poignancy. Musically, they are nothing short of great. Live, you can imagine a foreboding cacophony stealing away any niggling doubts. I have not had that privilege and thus have to relegate myself to the not knowing. Saving graces on their debut album come in the form of Ben's drums, particularly on 'Cold' and the overtones of Jon's lead embellishments. Promising too is the range of styles covered, from the funk jig of 'Bad Vibes' and the ambience of 'Lunatic'. Chris' voice is by no means poor, in fact, at times, he employs a brooding Guy Garvey tone but his vocal prowess is in danger of being washed into the sea of mediocrity through unconscientiously penned lyrics. There are many positives to derive from Sound Marshal's debut and hopefully, these are the aspects they will expand into a recognisable and distinguishable sound.

Simon S Wright

The Ally Jowett Band

Rest Of The Day

'Rest of the Day' encapsulates the essence of a band whose mellow tunes create a world of pure contentment. This band hailing from Leeds describe their sound as pop/acoustic, but there is so much more to it.

The opening track 'Out of Our Hands' develops a slightly more upbeat pace than that of the latter tracks, which allow you to peek into the bands subconscious, almost quite literally. Each track is relatable in lyrics that are filled with emotion as they draw you into moments of instant reflection, self importance and introspective moments of bliss. This album leaves you dreaming of warm summers, far away places and sandy beaches, but in a cool contemporary way. My personal favourite track is 'Bad Taste' which initially sounds like a slightly brash song filled almost with hatred. However this track merely shows how The Ally Jowett Band is able to blend vocals, lyrics and music together effortlessly.

It is clear that attention has been paid, in detail, to the production of each track to encourage this quality to be achieved. The band list both Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan as musical influences, both of which are reflected upon within the bands style of music through their use of heart felt lyrics and folk like elements respectively. The album finishes with 'No More Sound', which encompasses as a whole the defining elements of this emerging band which stand out from their peers.

Emma Crichton

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