2:54-South.

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As I sit in bed feeling sorry for myself as I’m ill, I thought I’d write about a song that I’ve pretty much had on repeat for a year, nearly. It is also to make up for the fact I’ve lost my dictaphone with my 2:54 interview on. If I can’t find it within a week, I’ll just be massively disappointed in myself. Useless. In my defense, I have moved house so it could be anywhere.

South by 2:54 is my favourite song by them. I thought I always had a firm favourite (Got A Hold) but it turns out, I was wrong. I guess lyrically I’d probably call Blindfold because the lyrics are easy to relate to. But for me, South is a song that feels like a hug from the person you adore the most. It feels like you’re being wrapped around something reassuring and comforting. The lyrics are quite sad, and I think last year I probably said the line “Got nowhere to put misshapen love” was the best I’d heard. You can take your over the top and complex prose, but I’d rather settle for a lyric like that. The simplicity of it can break your heart or make you feel like you’ve been finally healed. I love the uncertainty in the line, “Am I doing it wrong? Am I doing it right?” It’s such a simple line but the way in which it is sung that just gets you right in the heart.

I’ve tried to fathom what I love the most about the song. Is it Colette’s voice? Is it Hannah’s guitar or the way Alex makes the drums feel like a soothing wave hitting you? Is it the lyrics? It’s all and more, I can’t pick just one reason. The intro feels like rain hitting a window, but the drums come in and it feels like waves crashing around you. Something I’ve always adored about 2:54 is, you know the cover to their first record? Well, what I love that from their music I always feel like I am in that place. I feel like I am stood watching waves hit the rocks in the freezing cold with nothing surrounding me. Lost and found at the same time.

I’ve always felt 2:54 a band to listen to with nobody else around and at night. Turns out I was wrong because I can listen to them anytime, anywhere. But the ideal setting for them is late at night when all is dark and still. They create something eerie in your mind, and I think it is partly to do with Colette’s voice. I honestly think 2:54 are terribly underrated, but that’s a different matter entirely. Colette has this power in her voice that is found in the likes of Patti and Shirley Manson. She can make her voice sound gentle (Tender Shoots) or she can add something quite ferocious to it (Sugar.) I don’t know of anyone else who can do that. I don’t think they realise how great they are.

South is the perfect song to have on repeat as you go for a long walk. Just wandering around trying to clear your head or to just be alone for a while.Maybe I carry for too many feelings, but I think South is so special to me because it feels like an outlet. I don’t know what their meaning behind the song is or what place they were in when they wrote it, but I know where it takes me and how it makes me feel. You can listen to this on a crisp autumn evening as the sun sinks down or on a misty morning when you feel as if you’re the only person left; it can be purely self-indulgent or a journey of discovery. I’d always aim for the latter but, whatever gets you through.

At times I have felt that 2:54’s music is a reflection/stepping outside of the self to look in. Maybe I’m going too deep with this, but songs like South hit you in the gut and stir everything inside. In some parts of the song, Colette’s voice sounds quite woeful and I think this stands out towards the end where it is just her voice, then the guitar comes back in. I guess that’s probably why I feel a lot towards this song.

In their live shows this is definitely a highlight for me. I love songs that last over 5 minutes, and South slowly creeps in. There are other glorious moments in their live sets, but as I’ve only seen them tour The Other I (I was living on the Isle of Man during the start of their career so I was a distant fan, I suppose) I can only use this as reference. That said, the jam at the end of Creeping is mind-blowing. They are a band that I would urge anyone to go see. I don’t think they realise how great they are, and I don’t think Hannah is fully aware of how brilliant a guitarist she is. She towers over most, she makes it look effortless but you know a lot is going on. South is a song that shows us what 2:54 are about. The lyrics are dark and brooding at times, the music is complex and takes you someplace and the vocals ease you. They ease you into the unknown, and that’s what I love about 2:54. They take you gently into the unknown and everything around you just falls away.

I don’t know what anyone else thinks about South but for me it just evokes a sense of freedom. When love is misshapen, what do you do? The sensible answer is to probably walk away from it. There’s a handful of songs I play when things just seem a bit too much for my head to take in, and South is one of those that ease this uncertainty. South like I’ve mentioned feels like you’ve found a source of comfort and maybe it is all down to the vocals, maybe. But go deeper into it and every element of the song is a wealth of reassurance. It is one of the rare moments where the drums don’t make you feel as if you’re being smacked in the face. The drums on South make you feel as if you’re gliding in the sky like a bird, heading South.

I’ve a million and one other things I could say about the song, and maybe I’ll re-read this and disagree with what I’ve written, but it’s a song I’m hugely in love with and grateful for.

PEACE AND LOVE BARBERSHOP MUHAMMAD ALI/PINS. Oslo,Hackney. 23rd September 2015.

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For the sixth time last night I saw Pins, of course they get better each time but let’s talk about the support act first because they were nothing short of brilliant.

Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali (named after a shop in Manchester, I advise you to go in) are fronted by Mark who is also in Brown Brogues. PALBMA are just as loud as Brown Brogues which I am really happy about. I’ve written about the band before, but to write about their live set is a different experience. So the term “cool” is fucking redundant and is always lame to call someone that, but these guys are cool. They’ve got something about them that just makes you want to listen to them non stop. I’ve always got wandering eyes but during their set all I could do was stare and take in how great they are. If their bassist Kim doesn’t leave you wishing you were as effortlessly cool as her or wish you could play bass, then go get your head checked.  It’s only up for another 3 weeks, but you can listen to their Marc Riley set here:
Mark holds the guitar in a charming mad man kind of way, as if he’s got a machine gun and you’re not going to see tomorrow. He reminds me of Jamie Hince with how he makes his guitar sound like a weapon. This is the kind of stuff kids and adults should be indulging in. If someone can get this band back down to London soon, please do it. THe crowd seemed to love them, and it was just really refreshing to see a band so loud and wonderful have the same hook on you as the main band. Manchester is evidently the home of excellent music, and these guys are easily one of the best Manc bands around. But hey, let’s not limit ourselves- they are one of the most exciting bands around and their recent set on Marc Riley’s show justifies this. Charming buggers with songs to make you deaf. I love them. I’d happily write a thousand and more words about why I love them and why they are a bloody brutal and excellent band, but you can discover that in your own time. Just don’t dilly dally you know.
And now to PINS.
Opening with Baby Bhangs, it is fairly obvious that with only 2 full length records to their name that they ooze the confidence that most bands well into their career can’t muster. It is always a delight watching PINS live because they make you feel like you’ve joined a gang. A lovely gang. For me I just love how Lois sings every word to the crowd as if she’s a fan, she makes you sing a little louder. And yes, my throat is sore today. They brought Say To Me out last night which for me was the highlight. I’ve always had a thing for that song, and to see it live was a proper treat. The little jam at the end of Dazed By You could move the most rigid, and it’s again enough to make someone want to start a band. My only gripe about the gig is the amount of guys at the front who are old enough to be their dads who think it is okay to take photos and zoom in on the bands legs. Why would you do that? We can see you, assclown.
Of course during Girls Like Us causes a stage invasion. Faith reaches out to a guy in the crowd who she handed a balloon to earlier and brings him on stage closely followed by others. The delicate way in which she reaches out and brings people on stage is like watching a timid cat slowly let you get near them. This band has exactly what it takes to be a huge influential role in music and after seeing them last nights, I reckon they’re super close to doing just that. The show felt like a massive party with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun fused into Girls Like Us and their take on Hybrid Moments by Misfits. I just didn’t want it to end.
They really do get better with each show I’ve been to, and London crowds seem to idolise them. Maybe they also realise that the North is far superior in all ways. I think what makes PINS shows so enjoyable is that they obviously love being on stage, and their songs just sound bigger and better when played to an adoring crowd. Got It Bad is one of Wilds Nights slower moments, but Sophie beats the shit out of the drums on stage which takes the song some place else. It’s a gorgeous declaration of love much like Dazed By You.
By rights they should be playing bigger venues, the songs are powerful enough as are they. I’ve seen them support and I’ve seen them headline, and each set is louder and braver than the last. The confidence in all of them is really great to see. They’ve got a solid sound on Wild Nights (they did on Girls Like Us also) but they’re obviously a band that aren’t going to make the same record over and over, and I think that’s why people are into them. You can see exactly why they’re on Bella Union. No other label would be good enough.

LAME.

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In my biased opinion, many great things have come from Italy. However, the music from there is something I’ve always had slight reservations about. There’s more to Italian music than Litfiba (they were kind of good so it’s okay.) I can only apologise for Eiffel 65. I’m so sorry. Italy has more to offer than that.

LAME come from the same beautiful city as my stepdad. Torino is one of the best cities in the world, and is also home to LAME.

LAME make a lot of noise, and their most recent release The Lame Shall Enter First is probably one of the year’s most underrated records. I don’t even know how many people have heard it or are even into this band, but the record is an angry piece of work that cannot be played quietly and privately. I’m writing it whilst listening through headphones but I know the ideal setting for it is to be played so loud until the walls shake and pictures and mirrors fall down. It’s effortlessly brutal. Cold Night feels like a maniac losing their mind late at night, when they probably should be asleep.

Known for the bluesy but Punk sound, they don’t fail to live up to that notion. Half the time you feel like smashing shit up whilst listening to the record, the other half you just want to sit with a bottle of something and watch the weary world go by. Like most bands I’ve written about, and write about, LAME are a mixture of strange and wonderful kinds of genres and noises into one and end up creating something really weird and passionately brilliant. I always want to listen to something that makes me want to start a band, even though I never will (too old and I have no musical talent) but if it can leave me feeling this way then surely it can cause some lost teen in the depths of Cleethorpes to pick up an instrument and make some noise of their own. That’s all any of us can hope for.

Another thing I love about LAME is that they feel like you’ve invaded a nightmare. You’re looking in and LAME are providing this menacing and eerie soundtrack. You want to be part of it somehow- so you start feeling as if you’re being chased through some creepy forest with some local loon close behind you muttering delirious words, brushing branches out of their face to grab a closer look at you, and to probably grab you. You’d run a lot faster with LAME blasting in the background. This feeling of being lost in the wilderness could drive anyone a bit nuts, but LAME are the perfect soundtrack to losing your marbles slightly.

Sounding like a band possessed by something greater than any of us could imagine, LAME are just a rowdy lot with something brilliantly sinister in their music. Much like Bikes who I wrote about last night, they make you want to leave where you are and go explore somewhere new.

You can listen to their recent record here: https://aliensnatch.bandcamp.com/album/lame-the-lame-shall-enter-first

As far as first LPs go, this one is nothing short of excellent, and it leaves you wanting more and more from them. Favourite new band.

Play it as soon as it gets dark, unless you’ve got a weird imagination like mine- if so, sitting at your desk on your lunch break whilst listening to something weird like this will probably give you equally mental images in your head.

FORZA LAME!

BRAIN TRAPS.

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Sometimes you’ve just got listen to music that shatters your brain and makes you feel as if someone is stood up in your face screaming muffled words at you. More often than not, this is pretty much what I listen to and I guess it’ll cause my hearing to be questionable in later life.

Brain Traps are a mighty fan band from Cologne. I’ve never been to Cologne, but I’m going to assume it’s a nice place. Does all the music sound like that there? I sincerely hope it does. Brain Traps are great for many reasons, and for me I just love the way they make you feel as if someone has grabbed you by the head and is shaking you repeatedly. There’s no venom just pure fury, and I love this kind of music. It doesn’t make you feel loved, it makes you feel as if you’ve gone a few rounds with a heavyweight boxer and lost spectacularly.

Their fuzzy sound with hints of reverb will speak to those who are clinging .onto something as great as Psychocandy and the likes. This is different, and is a different wave of heavy. I’ve said it about many bands before that I’ve written about, but Brain Traps are the kind of band I’d want to sound like. They are noisy fuckers who are the ideal band to play one of those dodgy basement venues that have next to no lighting and make you sweat buckets before you get in the venue.

I have no idea what kind of comparisons have been thrown at Brain Traps, and I really can’t think of any (I’m not that lazy) but they just merge all the kinds of music I love into one and make their own kind of noise. The kind of noise that your parents wouldn’t really approve of, but would probably listen when no one is around. Ah man, life is too short to act like you don’t want a bit of rowdy music in your life.

Brain Traps do sound like a bunch of naughty school kids who have snuck into the music room at school and have gone a bit mental. There’s a fair deal of experimenting in their music, and in all its chaotic glory- it works. It’s loud in all the right places and is the right side of confrontational.

Their songs are really short but as proven by the likes of Ramones and Girl Tears, you don’t need to do a 10 minute symphony to get your point across. Brain Traps are an excellent band who will make the most uncomfortable and awkward person feel alright in their own skin. They unleash what you can’t, and they do it in a way you wish you could. They’re just perfect for any mood, and I really hope they play in the UK soon because I get the impression that their live shows are what really makes them. Some bands just come alive during their shows, and I reckon that Brain Traps are one of those bands. The kind that leave you smelling of everyone’s drinks and sweat after the show because you got a bit carried away and threw your body around with everybody else in the venue.

The kids are alright, they’ve got Brain Traps.

Listen and purchase: https://braintraps.bandcamp.com/

BIKES.

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Berlin heartthrobes Bikes are brilliant. They are a proper rowdy and obnoxious band. Their sound is part Iggy and The Stooges and part drunken street brawl. The songs are awfully short (like myself) but don’t let that be a deterrent. They’re one of the finest bands doing this kind of music. What kind of music is it? Oh it’s just noise to the outsider, but anyone else would realise very quickly that it’s a stroke of potential genius. The G word is lobbed around too often, so I’ll say it is potentially genius, but in my heart I know it has already reached that point.

When I find a band like Bikes I feel like I’ve won the lottery. However if you saw my bank statement you would probably think I’ve been a victim of fraud. Truth is, I’m shite with money. I found a new record store to venture in next week when I get paid, but today on my lunchbreak all I could do was lustfully look at it as I walked past. It didn’t help that my uncle (he’s on holiday in Canada) sent me a photo of two records he bought today (The Cramps and Fucked Up.) My time will come next week on pay day.

Money woes aside, Bikes are the kind of band you go to when you’re broke,bored and unsure. They’re the right kind of loud and they just make you want to pack up your stuff, and escape to Berlin. As you make your escape, you decide that Bikes are going to be your soundtrack and you throw yourself into their scene. Bruised and sore, covered in various shades of booze and sweat. They are the epitome of a good time for those who want to throw themselves into the unknown. Their sound is a mixture of weirdness, Punk and Garage Rock. All the typical things that I adore rolled into one to make this incredible sound.

They’ve been going for quite some time now, and I’m foolishly only just now discovering them. I first heard them about half an hour ago, and I knew I had to try write something about them, even if it makes no sense. I’ve never planned any form of writing, and I’m fairly sure it shows. Bikes are the tyrants that are coming to save you. Their menacing and infectious sounds can pull anyone through the worst day of them and are just a real joy to the ears, and soul.

You can do a whole bunch of nothing to this band or you can go on a journey of self-discovery, regardless of your mood and general state of being, Bikes are a band to really get behind and play as loud as you can stand. They’ve got a song called Ocean Penis, that’s pretty great.

All you snotty nosed brats and restless adults, let Bikes be your soundtrack.

Get the tunes here:

https://bikeshateberlin.bandcamp.com

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER- The Old Blue Last. 21st September 2015.

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Sometimes a band can fully justify all you feel, and when you see said band on stage it is like all you’ve built up inside has finally come to life although said feelings may be better off away from you. But these are the things that make us who we are, regardless of what others may think.

Kingsley Chapman And The Murder are made up of some of the most talented musicians this country has to offer. The way they play as if their lives depend on it makes you fully believe in every word and every note. You feel each song was created just for you and in a whirlwind of emotions, you can’t believe that such talent is playing a tiny venue for free in London.
Over time we have witnessed great frontmen in bands. From Moz to Joey Ramone, if they’ve got something that grips you instantly, then you just become a fan for life. As I watch in awe of the band and Kingsley’s brilliant ability to scare the crowd shitless with his deathly stare and astounding delivery of lyrics, I can’t help but think I am truly watching one of the greatest bands I’ve ever seen. I’m not just saying this because Kingsley’s a pal, but because friendship aside, this band are what I look for in music. They are dark, romantic in the way that isn’t typical, they make you feel like you’ve been adopted by the devil and you don’t feel like some weird fucker who doesn’t know what the hell is going on. Sure they’ve had the Nick Cave comparison thrown about, and their last song of the set Kill That Man is on a par with Stagger Lee. If you were there, you will hopefully know exactly what I mean. It was like the devil came out to play and we all joined a cult. It was bloody brilliant.
The song they played before Ghosts,Second Best Man was powerful. Did I cry a little? There was something in my eye, shut up. With a lot of the singers I love, it is the way you can hear their accent in their vocals that grip me. The way you can pick up the way certain words are pronounced make you click with the music more. Of course, as this band are from the North makes me love them even more. They don’t make music like this in London. Last night felt like home you know. I was seeing a band I adore in my favourite London venue, it just felt right. As I was watching the band I really had a hard time working out why they aren’t signed, but I guess in a way that’s what makes you treasure them even more.
I’ve been to some memorable shows in my time and a few have left a lasting impression on me. Some have made me get my shit together and others have made real life make some sense. What have I taken from the show last night? A wealth of things. Some that I really don’t want to share, but the main point is I was just really really proud of my friend. When I first saw Kingsley he was in a band called The Chapman Family. Their shows consisted of him wrapping the mic chord a little too tight around his neck. Last night, he did the same but the grip was a little less tight. The urgency in the songs could make the most dubious a believer.
The crowd was nothing short of gorgeous. Apart from the few behind me who felt the need to talk throughout (surely you’d go somewhere quiet to talk?) This was their first headline show in London, and I sincerely hope next time the venue is again packed with sweaty bodies screaming along as if their lives depend on it. Last night I could have gone to see my hero Morrissey, but I opted for the same level of genius but in a smaller setting. It was the kind of show that made you see everything a little different, maybe more clearer. This is a band who work hard to sound as great as they do, but to be honest it probably just comes natural to them. I couldn’t get tired of watching them live or listening to their music. Lost souls can be found to Kingsley Chapman And The Murder.
If all Monday nights consisted of seeing bands like this, the world would probably be a better place. Whatever music drags out of you, please make sure you cling onto it. I’m not entirely sure how to write this in a non biased way, but I can honestly say that this is one of the best gigs I have ever been to. I felt like I was watching a bunch of mental sailors lost at sea singing songs of love, lust, loss and desperation in one last plea to be heard before the sea takes them. It was dramatic and full of this built up passion that comes around very rarely from a band that are just as rare as the talent they posses. It was just absolutely brilliant, and I’m going to struggle to see a better show than this.
If you’re lucky to live in the North, you can catch Kingsley and his men support the equally wonderful Nadine Shah on the 30th of this month. If I had the funds, I would be there. It’s an ideal line up and I sincerely hope these shows drum up a wealth of interest who will make the world aware of Kingsley Chapman And The Murder. They’re the kind of band that make me wish I had my own label so I could put out music like this for everyone to hear. Some bands are just destined to be heard, and these guys are one of them.
If you are against conventional and tradition, then invest yourself in this band. The humour on stage and in the lyrics are glorious, and obviously Kinglsey’s comments about our pig face-fucking Prime Minister were welcomed with cheers. With the bore and doom of living in Tory country, it’s good to have bands like this who ease the wounds and make you feel human.

MAKEOUTS.

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Built on a chaotic and destructive sound, Makeouts are one of the best bands around and you need to listen to them. The noisiest band in Stockholm for sure. They’ve got elements of The Damned in their music and the loudness of a gang of teenage lads causing trouble in school. They’ve got a sound of pure rebellion in them, and it’s something to fully embrace.

In all honesty, I don’t know much about them other than where they are from and how great they are. Their sound is a bundle of chaos that works so well, nothing here needs to be tamed. If anything, they could probably go a little louder and a bit more brutal. They make the kind of music you’d want to trash your room/house to. It’s a whirlwind, a riot and should be getting into the brains of the youth. They’ve been around for quite some time now so I think it is fair to call them one of the finest Garage/Punk bands in not just their homeland, but Europe. They’ve got something really rare about them and it makes you want to delve deep into their music.

Makeouts aren’t just for snotty nosed brats or those who are constantly bored, hell they can be for anyone, everyone. Their accessbile noise is what makes them so appealing and just a general treat for the ears. You just stick them on repeat and go off into your own world. I don’t know if they’ve ever played over here, but when/if they do, I’m pretty sure they’ll cause some kind of hysteria that leaves fans in a puddle of sweat and other fluids, just wanting more. With the trail of destruction they could potentially leave just by hearing them on record, I’m fairly sure their live shows are different levels of crazy.

Have we had a band as exciting as Makeouts come around? Maybe we have, but it is important to know that these guys aren’t wet around the ears no more. They’ve got a solid sound that needs to be played loud, you need to sing a long and listen as if your life depends on it. They have songs to go nuts to, to sing a long to at 3am when you should be asleep and not having another drink. They’re the right level of destructive and chaotic. It isn’t forced, it isn’t for show and they aren’t trying to impress you. You know all of it comes from a genuine place and I think that’s what makes them easy to approach and to just enjoy their music.

They’re that band you find by accident when you’re supposed to be doing something else, but you get immersed in their music and you just forget all you were supposed to be doing. That’s not always a bad thing and don’t let people call you out on it.

Play Makeouts as loud as you can stand and go break stuff.

DESTRUCTION UNIT

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I have a theory that, if it isn’t loud or makes me feel like I’ve been punched in the face, then I probably won’t be too keen on it. This is only with music. But sometimes I just want to listen to something gentle and relaxing. That said, I find Sleep to be one of the most relaxing bands I’ve ever heard. Chaos is fine by me, as is noise.

Destruction Unit, as tacky as it sounds, live up to their name. Their sound is a mixture of chaos, destruction and terror. Their music will freak you out and make you feel like you’ve taken something you maybe shouldn’t have. Their songs are loud and full of fury. They spoil the listener with their undeniable talent and ability to make you feel like you’ve cracked your head open. It’s a whirlwind, and you can’t help but feel you’ve been knocked out cold for days and you’re only just coming round.

What I love about them is that they can only be played loud. I’m fairly sure their live shows will leave you deaf for days. Making your body feel broken in all the right places. Have I ever heard anything as brutal as this before? Of course, but that doesn’t mean Destruction Uni are toss. Far from it. I’ve heard louder but I’ve not heard anything quite like it. They’re not deathly terrifying but you could probably freak your neighbours out with their music. It’s the kind of noise for those who take things a little too far, or it’s an outlet for us shy fuckers (like myself.)

I guess they’ve been described a fair few times as a “psych” band, and that description keeps getting thrown about that it becomes hard to find the good stuff. I don’t mind looking for it, but sometimes labels are a hindrance and not a help.

Negative Feedback Resistor comes out on Friday. I’ve heard nothing from it, but I’m fairly confident it is going to be one of those records where the greatness of it just smacks you in the face. Sometimes it’s okay to find one where the sheer genius of it creeps up on you, usually at times where you’re pleasantly caught off guard but I have every feeling that this release will just hit the listener between the eyes and be nothing short of a masterpiece.

Their glorious psych sound is heavier than typical psych bands. It’s like they are egging other bands on to p;lay a little louder, a little faster and to put the frighteners in the listener. They push themselves and the listener with their music, and I personally think that’s what makes them one of the best bands around and on Sacred Bones.

You want to throw your body around in a questionable fashion when you listen to them, you play them a bit louder than the last time and you fall into this sort of depraved world they have created with their menacing sound. The guitars sound like a mad man on the run. This feral sound is what keeps modern music alive. There’s nothing overproduced and nothing is compromised. It’s a solid sound that deserves to be treasured and respected. They make the kind of noise I wish I could, but as always, I just write about it.

Their Europe/UK tour starts this week, including Liverpool Psych Fest.

TAMARYN-Cranekiss

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All good music should take you away from where you are. You could be the happiest person in the world, but sometimes you’re going to want to escape. There are some bands/singers that always take you to a place a person/nothing else can. This is not a reflection on those you know, it’s just one of those things that happen. You can’t explain it and maybe you shouldn’t try to. There’s this “magic” to it that isn’t found anywhere else. Some have the answers at the bottle of something, but I don’t believe that. It’s in music, for me. Always. Maybe not always answers, but options.

Tamaryn have a new record out called Cranekiss. My love for Tamaryn is huge. If I could try to describe what the music means to me, I’d have done it by now but there really aren’t words good enough. When it was stated that Cranekiss was going to be nothing like previous releases, it didn’t bother me. When you love a band/singer, you don’t care what they do so long as you can still believe in it. For me, I have every faith in Tamaryn based on their previous records. I could never doubt their talent or ability to create something no less than beautiful.

I played Tender New Signs religiously, thinking nothing Tamaryn would do could ever top that. I always knew that regardless the music would be stunning, but I didn’t know if it could be exceeded. My uncertainty and constant curiosity never fails me with music, so I’m obviously delighted that Cranekiss is quite frankly one of the best records to have been released this year.

Hands All Over Me sounds like early Madonna. Here’s the thing, I can’t stand Madonna. Aside from Borderline, I can’t stand anything she has ever done but I fully appreciate and know exactly how important her early work is. It was something new and strange, and that’s why it clicked with so many. As she got older, the music got worse. Hands All Over Me sounds like something Madonna could have put out. If she did, I probably would call myself a fan. It’s a shame because she’s part Italian like myself, so I feel I should like her. But I think Berlusconi is a prick so my theory isn’t always ideal.

I’ve read reviews about Cranekiss before I heard it. I didn’t like some of them because they were unfair. I hate reading negative reviews of music I like, anyone does. There’s something about it that just makes you want to lay into the writer and call them names, I know. Why write about something you don’t like? There’s enough negativity in the world, just watch the news. Tamaryn makes music that makes you feel good and she really goes to town with it on Cranekiss.

I love the euphoric glow of Last. For now I’ll call this as my favourite. I love her vocals so so much. I don’t really like high pitched vocals, but the way Tamaryn hits those notes just makes you feel so fucking alive and grateful. I just can’t get my head around why her music isn’t played everywhere and why the whole world isn’t in love with her. This isn’t just music, it’s a form of art that is showcasing someone really pushing themselves.

I’m really shite at writing reviews. I can’t pull myself away from something I love in order to see it differently, but the thing with Cranekiss is that it feels like I am listening to anyone but Tamaryn. I feel like I’m listening to a new artist, and I guess for me Cranekiss is like a symbol of re-birth. Just starting over, because sometimes you just have to. I read that her shows now consist of new material and people were getting annoyed because they wanted to hear the old stuff. I’m just annoyed I missed out on seeing her show when she was in London. I don’t care if she decided to sing the back catalogue of Chris De Burgh, I’d just want to hear her voice. I’m trying to make the point that, her new stuff is so so good and it doesn’t matter that the older material isn’t played anymore.

If you want your heart breaking, or to just feel something I urge you to shut off and listen to Keep Calling. It is eerie and chilling. Her voice is so delicate on it, you can’t help but keep so still as you listen to it. I’ve probably missed the point completely with what Tamaryn was set out to achieve with Cranekiss. But I think what she has done is easily make one of the most beautiful records I have heard in a long long time.

On Cranekiss we get to hear just how strong Tamaryn’s vocals are. There’s no more hiding her, she’s unleashing her voice onto us and it takes you on this ethereal trip that you just want to last for an eternity. You get the sense that maybe she’s found a style she’s totally happy with on this record (not saying she previously hadn’t, far from it) and to be honest, does it matter if anyone else doesn’t? She’s truly excelled herself on Cranekiss, she well and truly has. I could try to find you a bunch of records to compare Cranekiss to or find other singers she sounds like, but honestly itr would be worthless. Why? You know why. There’s no one else I can think of, and it’s just sloppy journalism to use comparisons all the time. I mean sure there’s a part of Softcore that sounds like A Forest by The Cure but I’m not going to focus on that, it’s just one tiny moment. The whole record is a breath of fresh air to a stale scene. I feel like I’m listening to someone new, finding a band for the first time and just knowing I have to listen to everything they have ever done.

I wanted to go further than say this is one of my favourite records of the year, or that it has pushed boundaries. I don’t know if I can. But I really understand what Tamaryn has done with this record. It’s a resurrection of sorts. Maybe I’ve got that wrong, but I know how much I love this record and I know how beautiful it is. I hope that’s come across in my tirade of words.

In short, this is a gorgeous record and all lost souls will be soothed and found when listening to Cranekiss. It is beautifully produced, and you can really sense the love and care that has gone into making this record. Itr deserves a listen, over and over again. I’m hopelessly in love with this record.

1995.

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The thing with music is that it can launch you right back to a place that you either want to forget or stay. You’ll never win. I’m not one for using this as a means to express private feelings, as that is what they are, I’ll turn this around as an appreciation of 1995 rather than me being confused to fuck as to how I’m meant to feel today as it is 20 years since my dad died. I didn’t have any relationship really with him, but you don’t need to know and I don’t need to spill. As I’ve gone through and found some real delights that came out in 1995. I think most of it was just pure pop toss, but let’s be honest- there’s nothing better than 90s Mariah Carey. I realised also, that my love for Garbage has been alive and well for 20 years so you know, 1995 wasn’t totally shit. I won’t really write about the songs, I think the ones I’ve chosen speak for themselves.

So here you are, my 10 favourite songs from 1995:

I am fully aware that there are some wonderful dance/pop songs I have missed. Including Rhythm Of The Night..I know. I know.