• Eluvium – Nightmare Ending

    June 6, 2013 - By 

    Over the course of the past decade, Matthew Cooper has established himself as one of the finest contemporary ambient musicians, with each new Eluvium release showcasing his mastery of a different aspect of the broadly-defined genre. What we have with this glorious new double album is a distillation of every style he has explored to date into one fantastically ambitious opus; essentially, both the perfect primer for those unfamiliar with his work and a kind of ultimate Eluvium package for the converted. The first disc opens with Cooper at his most accessible. ‘Don’t Get Any Closer’ commences on a simple,…

  • Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City

    May 27, 2013 - By 

    Ever since Vampire Weekend poked their heads above the sub-Libertines dross of late-noughties indie they have always seemed several steps ahead of their peers. The self-titled debut’s hyperactive afro-pop and the genre-bending follow-up Contra established the New York quartet as the thinking fan’s hipsters of choice; their star continuing to ascend even as, one by one, those contemporaries deservedly crashed and burned. Despite this, it would be fair to say that they weren’t universally admired. What was perhaps missing for some amidst all this clever-clever meta-pop mashing of styles was heart: Vampire Weekend were perfectly capable of connecting with the…

  • The Dudley Corporation – Everyone Does Everything Wrong

    May 22, 2013 - By 

    It’s been five long years since the Dudleys caressed our lugholes with the slow-burning menace of Year Of The Husband. As supercharged opener ‘DLQ’ cranks this fourth LP into life, it’s apparent that much has changed in the Dubliners’ camp. Gone are the tension-building epics of old, replaced with thirteen sub-three minute nuggets of alt-rock gold. That’s not to say the trio have gone down the commercial route – anything but: the guitar sound is scathing, the vocals sneer and howl misanthropically and the rhythm section pummel and clatter more intensely than ever. Highlights of this newly-streamlined, energetic approach include…

  • Alana Henderson – Wax and Wane EP

    May 3, 2013 - By 

    Alana Henderson’s debut EP is a strong statement of intent. These dark folk songs are dominated by her powerful, nuanced cello playing and clear voice, with an able supporting cast complimenting each dramatic stroke with subtle harmonic flicks, background croons and interpretive percussion. It’s a beautifully organic sound, one which should appeal more to followers of the US indie end of the folk spectrum than to Mumford devotees. The opening title track is a thing of wonder, immediate and striking but revealing more of itself with every listen. Henderson’s confident cello stabs take centre stage, plucking, swooning and swelling round…