Sometimes you just need to listen to something that feels like a massive jab to the face. I’ve become more and more restless but also annoyingly tired, so I need to listen to something that fits my mood. I don’t want to move but I don’t want to sit still. I want to listen to something that heightens all of this because nothing else will cut it.
Belgium is a beautiful place. I fell in love with Brussels twice. I spent a lot of money in a record shop there, twice. I could have happily spent all my time in there. It’s one of the best places I’ve ever been. Peaceful and timeless. Mind Rays are from Belgium- their sound isn’t peaceful. Well, to some it isn’t but for me? It sort of is. It’s what I need right now.
This Ghent based band have been around for some time, and upon first listen you can easily picture them thrashing about on some dingy stage in a sweat infused basement bar where all the outcasts unite- the best kind of place. You can picture them injuring each other and themselves as they flail about on stage, how much they bleed from smacking their face into a mic stand justifies how good the show was. Their sound is brutal and loud. If you want a label then I guess you can have Garage Rock with a bit of Punk. I’d just call it a riot to be honest.
Their new record, Nerve Endings is out next month and it’s probably going to be one of the most rowdy records you’ll hear all year. They make it easier to deal with your frustrations of daily life and being a bit of a loner, but that’s probably just me. These kinds of things just get you through. I was going to go to the gym tonight, but I just want to find more bands like Mind Rays and get totally lost in them.
Mind Rays make the kind of music to just straight up melt your face. Their earlier stuff is slightly less aggressive but only slightly. It’s all the right kind of loud and beastly. They make the kind of music that makes you morph into some kind of scary monster that isn’t to be fucked with, lurking in the shadows. I have no idea what their live shows are like, and I can only imagine that they are just as lively on stage as they are on record. Their songs don’t feel like something that has been recorded in a studio, you feel like you are listening to a band practicing and lobbing their all into it. You really pick up on the blood, sweat and maybe a few tears. And screams.
They’ll melt your mind, they’ll awaken the rusty and sleepy parts of you. They’ll make you want to slam your body into stuff, they’ll make you want to throw things around. They’ll make you want to act like a rebellious swine, and that’s one of the best things a band can do to you. They’ll lure you out of your comfort zone and before you know it, you’re comfort zone is going to be immersing yourself in this mind altering and thought bending sound. There are some bands that you just cannot get enough of, and for me, Mind Rays are easily one of those bands.
If you’re a fan of the phenomenal L.A. Witch you’ll have seen that some low life decided to steal some of their gear after their show in Bristol last week. For some, they may have just packed up, cancelled the tour and headed home. Not L.A. Witch. They’re doing this tour until the very end and putting their all into every single show. The kindness and love from fellow fans and musicians has been overwhelming and just beautiful to see. I don’t think I’ve seen a bunch of people rally round like this, and it’s just a wonderful thing to see. For every shitty situation, there’s always some good. It’s the kindness of others that gets you through in instances like this.
I saw their first ever show in London in November at the Shacklewell Arms. A bunch of us crammed into a small, sweaty room to finally witness one of the best bands around. I’ve been going on and on about their music for 3 or 4 years now, and to have finally seen them last November was just a real highlight for me. To see them on Saturday? Oh man, it towers over that show for sure.
Their show at The Lexington was nothing short of divine. You could tell that they were playing with slight caution at the start, especially Sade as she was borrowing a guitar and pedals. However, the nerves slipped away with ease as she held that guitar as if it was her own. The way they played had no indication of what had happened a few nights before, but I noticed there was something about them this time that really hit me. They played with this unbelievable force and passion that made you just want to jump on stage and join in. They made you want to be part of their gang. It must be said that Ellie is a fantastic drummer and the way she basically annihilates the drums during Kill My Baby and Ain’t Comin’ Home is insane. For the most part she makes you wish you could play the drums, but for the remainder you just stare in awe of her beating the shit out of the drum kit.
Hearing songs like Good Guys and You Love Nothing was so great, especially as I don’t think Good Guys is really played much, or maybe at all. Heart Of Darkness closes the set. Irita really owns the set with her bass on Drive Your Car, and Sade rips into the song, Brian with this fury that is so wonderfully captivating.
As I gazed upon the stage, no part of me could think of a band that they reminded me of. I really cannot think of anyone or anything I have heard before, and I was instantly shot back in time to when I first heard them in 2013. It just smacks you blissfully in the face. I love being able to hear songs like Get Lost live because these early songs are the ones that had me hooked completely. Get Lost is a real highlight of the set because at the end, they just really let rip. It’s such a raucous song and they just do it so perfectly well in their set. I guess part of me really loves them so much because if I had any musical talent, I’d want to sound like L.A. Witch. I stood with my eyes closed a lot and swayed during a few of their songs, just letting the music take me wherever. I’m having a really shit time at the moment, and I just wanted to hear something that would take me out of my mind and body. They most certainly did that, and for that hour or so- nothing in the world, nothing in my head mattered. I remember vividly closing my eyes during Ain’t Comin’ Home and just being covered in goose bumps. Most definitely one of the best shows I’ve been to in a long time and easily one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live.
Each song is played with this way of just leaving you stunned, there is simply no denying just how great this band is and with their debut record FINALLY coming out this summer- I think everyone is finally going to realise just how brilliant they are and I have every ounce of faith that their debut record is probably going to get played to death by me, easily.
I managed to get the set list from the show, so if you’re interested they played:
This week The Underground Youth release their eighth record, What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This? If there was a prize for best album title, it would easily claim first prize. With such a bold statement as its name, can it live up to it? Can it hold the weight? Oh come on, of course they do. This might come from a biased view point, but it is accurate all the same. Every song on this record has its own way to make you label it as your favourite song on the record. Each song is going to move you, push and pull you in all ways imaginable.
For me their new record seems to tower over their previous seven, and I know it is such a failed clichéd thing to say but if you go back and listen to each record and you then listen to this, you will see how they/mainly Craig’s remarkable way with words has really grown. The capture the essence of their base (Berlin via Manchester) in their songs, and they make you just want to sack everything off and move. I for one, am trying to do that because the city I’m currently in has ruined me in ways I didn’t think I could. Daily panic attacks are a given, my own reflection is a piss poor outline of myself. I try to avoid looking. My auntie gave me some dear advice on Sunday when I went home. She said, “Music will get you through.” I’m hoping she’s right because I don’t really have much else. It’s what I have when no one else is around and I don’t like to burden anyone anyway.
Anyway, let’s move on because I sound like a proper whiney twat.
The Underground Youth are going on a pretty extensive tour to promote this record. They’re playing right near my house in a few weeks, and I’m going to try my best to make it. I’ve never seen them live before, even though I spend a lot of time listening to their music. I’ve wondered how their live show would be. I hope they make it as dark and as eerie as possible. I sadly missed their show at The Lexington. Me and my panic attacks. I’m pretty sure it was one hell of a show, and it was at one of my favourite venues too. The new record seems to be one of those that you’ve just GOT to see live. It has all these intense elements to it that make you intrigued into how they will unleash these songs openly on stage.
For me, I really hope they play The Outsider on this tour as it shows a side to them that will lure the meekest of people in. Once they get in, that’s it. I love the distorted vocals and how it has a very subtle Shoegaze feel to it. I rarely pay attention to labels that are given to bands as it can just hinder/harm your take on them. I’ve read how The Underground Youth have been labelled over the period of their career, and I’ve not really picked up on any specific sound and I think that is part of the charm. The fact that you don’t know what it is or what era you think they are from makes it all the more better. This record could easily have happened circa Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Kick Against The Pricks or Outside Your Room by Slowdive. That’s what it sounds like- something that may have already happened but also something so brilliantly new and brutally fascinating.
Your Sweet Love is a big highlight for me. I love the sheer intensity of it, and again, it is one I really hope they play live because there is no denying how electrifying the atmosphere will be once they indulge magically into this (just over) 6 minute symphonic blissful sound. There’s no telling where this song will take you, it’s just wonderfully captivating. The whole record is, and I don’t think any part of me will grow tired of obsessing over it and finding new songs, new pieces of the songs to love and cherish dearly. The record ends with the moving Incapable Of Love. It is the perfect song to end this glorious record on, and it really cements the title of the record. The record feels like a novel- not a piece of music. I hope anyone who hears this record picks up on that. It feels like something a write you love from way back has written and it’s been brought to life through music. Think Schopenhauer meets Henry Miller. A mixture of these two worlds and put together in the most perfect way possible.
It is truly everything I want from a record. Like all great bands, The Underground Youth have this effortless way of creating a new sound with each record and eight records in, they’ve again surpassed themselves. They do it every single time, and I love them for it.
Buy the record tomorrow and come out to see them at one of their shows!
I blame the fragility of my mind for my current inability to love the things I once held dear to me- I’m working on it, and today for the first time in a long time, I felt something towards music. Something to make me want to write about music. The past couple of months, I’ve done it because I thought I had to. I didn’t want to, I don’t re-read anything I’ve ever written. From the things I write here to what’s in my notebook that goes everywhere with me. Once I’ve finished something, I just let it go. Sometimes to never be seen- but that’s just my notebooks. Today, something stirred as I listened to the new song by The Moonlandingz.
The Strangle Of Anna features the wonderful Rebecca from Slow Club. Her vocals over the heavy drums make you feel as if you’re back in the age of The Velvet Underground & Nico. It’s All Tomorrows Parties with a slight, ever so slight touch on Heroin. Basically, the first record by The Velvet Underground & Nico. Now, if you’ve not read up about the song you’d probably just dismiss it and think “Done before, not a fan.” Don’t be small minded. Listen to the words, take the song in and realise what The Moonlandingz are about.
The song is brilliantly written from the view a girl whose boyfriend is in a generic Indie band that acts like they worship Lou Reed but could probably only name one song and has never sat through Metal Machine Music. You know the type. They’re at every gig you and I go to. They stand draping their arm over their girlfriend because she so badly wants to be with the lad in the band. He wears sunglasses inside because he wants to look mysterious. Mate, you’re a knob. SUNglasses. The hint is in the name. Doofus. They’re the type that’ll talk all the way through a gig. What are they talking about? Some wanky coffee shop that only sells rye bread and avocados. They cling onto their awful craft beer, pretending to enjoy it when deep down, they’d probably prefer a cup of tea or a can of Tizer. How awful are his band? Oh you know the type.
The frontman, Johnny Rocket (Lias from Fat White Family if you’ve been nodding off) is easily the best frontman of my generation. I’ve yet to see Fat Whites live (every single time it has clashed with something. I try not to think about it. My uncle and auntie have seen them loads- I live through them) and as the character Johnny Rocket, you find yourself in awe. You see him as an unconventional superhero. The Moonlandingz are one of the most exciting bands around, and are made up of super talented folks who want to trip the hell out of the listener. They’re off on tour next month. I desperately want to travel up to Sheffield to see them. Mainly because I’m running out of Henderson’s Relish. Fully aware I can order it online, but you know, I just bloody love Sheffield. Or maybe their show in Liverpool. There’s something massively exciting about travelling to a gig, and staying overnight somewhere. I think I just want to get out of London so badly, maybe that’s why.
I’ve found it really hard to enjoy things at the moment and whilst I know I’m getting worse, it feels pretty damn good to know that I can still love a piece of music like this and have this urge to write about it. It gave me goose bumps from the second I heard it, and with every listen I find myself wanting to just over how gorgeous this song is. Sure it’s a dig at those wanky types who irritate us, but my god they have done it better than anyone else could. It echoes the greatest band ever, The Velvet Underground in all the right places. It does something to you. It’s all in Johnny/Lias and Rebecca’s vocals. They work so well together, and I am content with playing this over and over again until I fall into a relaxing slumber.
Here are the tour dates for the next month or so. Please go see them and dress accordingly and liberally:
In my biased opinion, Italy is the home to some great music. It’s obviously the best country in the world, is home to the best football team in the world (Juventus) and the best goalkeeper in the world, aside from my brother (Gigi Buffon!) There’s one band in particular that reinforce my belief that Italy is the home to some bloody brilliant music- Beat Degeneration.
Beat Degeneration have a beautiful sound that’ll catapult you headfirst back to the 90s. There’s hints of Slowdive in their sound, a strong Shoegaze sound is present but don’t be a dismissive fool about it. Their sound oozes heat. They make you feel like you’re relaxing on a beach in Puglia or wandering around a damp, and dreary London. They take you, they bloody take you. They take your mind, and up away you go. It’s a lucid trip and you didn’t touch a thing.
They’ve got this way of getting you to drown out daily noise and to just get yourself focusing on them. They grip you tightly, but in a non-threatening way. They sway you, nurture you and soothe your soul with their gorgeous sound. You can’t help but feel as if you’re not stuck indoors on a freezing cold January night. Where they take you is far more exciting than where you are.
Last year they released the brilliant Dream Machine which you can pick up as a free download here: https://beatdegeneration.bandcamp.com/releases Get a copy and play as loud as your ears can stand. It’s the perfect record to escape to, it’s also perfect to do nothing to. As far as debut records go, Dream Machine is just great. It was written and produced by frontman, Guido Giorgi. The band now consists of Manuel (“Gerry”) on the drums and Piero on bass. Like a lot of bands I’ve written about, Beat Degeneration strike me as a band that you’ve just got to see live. On record they have this beautiful energy and ability to take you some place unknown to others, I’m pretty sure their live shows will be the right kind of wild and chaotic. Something to unleash your daily frustrations to.
The record ends with the 7 minute wonder, Nowhere (A Land Where I Belong) and it shows a different side to Beat Degeneration. Sure you’d think with a name like that they’re just a bunch of snotty nosed kids making noise, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. Nowhere shows you exactly what Beat Degeneration are capable of, and that’s blowing whatever is left of your mind. Nowhere is the perfect song to close the record with. It’s gentle and easy on the mind. There are a few moments on this record where you feel like you just want to go to some sweaty basement dive bar and be covered in beer and sweat. But there are tender moments like this where you just want to be. Nowhere is the song you play through headphones and just let yourself drift off. Either to sleep or to a clear place in your mind, just go. Drift away freely and think of nothing. Allow yourself to have these moments.
I really hope they play some UK shows soon after doing a number of dates around Europe last year. I’m pretty sure their shows will be captivating and freeing. They’re not a band to go see live and not move to. Even the most rigid would find it hard to not move a little bit to the sounds of Beat Degeneration. I’ve played the record in full a few times now, and I’ve gone back to it to play in a different order, but with every intention of ending on Nowhere.
The songs are great. Really strong songs that deserve to be heard as loud as you can stand. They’re your new favourite band.
A sinful sound echoes in your ears as you listen to The Psychocandies. The name lured me in. I thought of The Jesus And Mary Chain. The only thing The Psychocandies has in common with TJAMC is that both of them make beautiful noise. The Pyschocandies may remind you a little of Psychocandy- it’s the reverb and the distorted vocals. It’s my weakness.
I don’t know much about The Psychocandies. I read that it’s just one person, but it doesn’t matter. I think they’re from France. They make you think you’re loitering in dark alleys in Paris on a damp evening. Watching the rain fall under a flickering street light. They’re the romanticised version of the city. They’re the soundtrack to what’s going on in your head, they pour out from your nightmares. It never sounded so good.
There’s quite a lot to delve in with regards to their back catalogue. The most recent came out possibly in the summer of last year? The songs sound like they could be the soundtrack to your nightmares. There’s a brilliant decadent sound that flows through. They make you feel as if something is chasing you, or maybe you’re the one doing the hunting and the haunting. The hypnotic grooves but you in a trance, especially on the From The Depths release.
The songs on this record are loud, brilliantly intrusive (not in a bad way) and set the mind off. Everything is heightened on this record, especially on You Got No Soul (the alt version). It’s a really, really in your face kind of song. If you play it as loud as you can stand, you’ll probably end up deaf for about half hour- then you’ll find yourself doing it again. And again. I think if you were to go to one of their shows, you’d leave partially deaf. That’s not always a bad thing.
The Psychocandies will give you the shakes, you’ll go hot and cold. You won’t settle when you listen to them- you’ll be on edge. They’ll plague your mind in the most glorious way imaginable. It’s the kind of music I’d want to make- I’d want to make people feel uneasy but in a way that’s not scary or threatening. There would be something to lure the listener in, and that’s exactly what they do. They keep you guessing, wondering what’s going to hit you next. Any remotely decent band can do this, and The Psychocandies do it in a way that leave you wanting more, and more. They remind me of The Vacant Lots in that way you know. For me, The Vacant Lots are up there with some of the greatest bands of all time and after seeing them live, I realised it was the sheer intensity of the sound that made me a fan years ago. That’s how I’m heading with The Psychocandies. There is something so effortlessly intense about them, so dark and so full of curiosity for the listener.
You can spend way too long try to dissect your reasons for loving something, but sometimes when you do this it makes you love the band even more. Does that make sense? You keep listening to them, over and over. As you listen, you find new things to love and appreciate about them. You hear a new noise within them. That new noise just fires you up and makes you hear things differently. It all sounds bigger. As I listen to The Psychocandies, I can’t really pin point where the sound takes me. I know it’s desolate and I know it’s dark, and for me that’s entirely comforting.
There’s something about this secluded and sacred sound that makes you connect more than you thought you could.
I’m fairly sure I have just witnessed one of the best live bands around and have probably been to a gig that might end up being my best of the year. I’ve got others lined up, but this one is staying etched upon my brain. I can’t unsee any of it and nor do I want to.
Made up of members from The Underground Youth, Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali and PINS- Machiine just ripped a hole right through the Shacklewell Arms with no apologies. They completely and utterly destroyed the place with their destructive and rambunctious sound. The kind of sound that makes you want to make your own noise.
I have seen many great shows at this venue and I can honestly say I’ve not seen anything like this before. They blitz through their debut Teaser EP with also a phenomenal cover of Garland Jeffreys track, Wild In The Streets. I remember hearing that song when I was super young on MTV and it stuck with me. To hear a band like Machiine turn it into a brilliantly smutty affair was great, they made it theirs and more.
Craig and Mark prowl on the stage and circle the floor. The stage is too small to hold all seven of them. Each band member plays as if they have been in Machiine for decades and decades, they don’t sound brand new- but their sound is so unique. I think also, not knowing what to expect truly made this show what it was- sensational. That’s the only word. I’ve left wanting to start my own band but I have no musical talent, so I’ll just write about it instead. I can happily say that this is one of the most in your face and most rowdy shows I’ve been to. It was the right kind of confrontational and the way Mark and Craig are with each other is brilliant. Mark has this impish grin on his face as they rip through What Bad Boys Do whereas Craig leaves you in awe wondering where he goes when he performs the songs. Each band member takes you on their own journey. Ola bangs the drums and shakes the tambourine as if her life depends on it, and keeps the steady pace and groove of the sounds. Honestly, if you weren’t there- you messed up. You missed out.
I hope this is only just the start, a taster of what is to come because there is sincerely nothing stopping Machiine from not only being YOUR favourite band, but a band that rule the airwaves and the world. Give them the world, save us all. The crowd did seem a little reserved but maybe they just didn’t know what to expect, but trust me when they come your way and into town- go see them. Don’t pay attention to the crowd, just do whatever the hell you want.
The term “supergroup” can be such a throwaway comment, much like describing something “cool.” Words. Just empty words they are. However, sometimes things happen that go against this and are the subject of these redundant words. They give it meaning again- they make it theirs.
Machiine ARE a supergroup. They are also really really cool. Their sound is absolutely sadistic and twisted. It’s not typical, it’s so far from bland. They’ve just put out their first single, Twist It & Shake. They’re also playing London tomorrow night, at the Shacklewell Arms. It’s a free gig. You’re probably not doing anything, and even if you are- sack it off and come to this.
Machiine are made up of members from Brown Brogues/Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali, The Underground Youth and PINS. Some of the best musicians to have come from Manchester, for sure. Machiine sound like something you would hear in a sordid club where you can do what you like, and it isn’t mentioned the day after. Their merch consists of whips and balaclavas. Wear your best leather tomorrow and head down to the Shacklewell Arms. This 7 member band don’t sound overbearing considering how many there are of them. They sound like a gang with Mark and Craig fronting the band- they’re coming for you.
As they all have different influences which is clear in their separate bands, what they’ve done with Machiine is just make a band that leave forgetting about their other bands. They don’t sound like anything else. They slowly built a presence last year and finally, they’ve put a song out. Worth the wait? Most definitely. Twist It & Shake is the kind of song you’ll have in your head for days. I’ve played it a lot this morning and on my dinner break (right now) and I’m pretty sure I know the words. The lead vocals aren’t aggressive but Faith’s vocals in the background add this angelic quality to the song. It’s a brilliant introduction to the band, and I am so excited to see them tomorrow night and to hear more music from them. Twist It & Shake is worth the wait. There’s references to Bob Hoskins, John Wayne and a sister who plays video games. What more do you want?
PS- Teaser EP is out tomorrow and they’re selling tapes at the show tomorrow night.
“And I’m chugging along in a train. And I’m heading the wrong way, and I’m a trainwreck”
Since it came out, I have religiously, ritualistically and obsessively listened to The Altar by Banks every single day. I listen at work- her voice can sometimes tame my panic attacks. Not always. But after I’ve had one, her voice provides this level of security that I guess, I need. Her lyrics have always been a massive thing for me. She has this brutal honesty that is so fragile- it can break the person listening. Goddess came out in 2014, prior to that a couple of EPs. Everything she’s released has been nothing short of ahead of its time. She’s ahead of us all. There’s no one quite like her. She’s my kind of strange. The kind that delves into what others want to distant themselves from. Her words are gut wrenching, heart breaking and truthful. It is okay to have these feelings, it is okay to explore and expose how you feel. Music is a safety net. Goddess was my safety net when it came out. The Altar is exactly the same. There’s something about her that draws you in. I don’t have the words for it, but my god she’s out of this world.
I try to avoid doing track by track reviews, but some records bring it out of you. Sorry!
Gemini Feed: I’m sorry now for going on about how important the lyrics are and how with this record she takes it darker. I love the attitude she has on the chorus, “And to think you’d get me to the altar.” She finally sees what a piece of work this asshat is and lets them know they have no chance. As if she’d want that kind of forever, that commitment with them. I love the line, “If you would have let me grow, you could have kept my love.” When someone hides you away or doesn’t let you be the person you are, they lose you and rightfully so. If they saw you for what you could be, maybe they’d still have you. Tough luck, right?!
Fuck With Myself: The song is equally as strange and as brave as the video. This shows Banks really go for it with respect to her exploring her sound. This is the sound of someone really pushing themselves but still holding onto what they are known for- their honest lyrics. She’s not going to let someone fuck her over again, she knows her worth and if you can’t see it, then you don’t deserve her.
Lovesick: One of her most pure songs of love and adoration. The way she expresses how much she loves, wants and adores this person is so beautiful. This has this beautiful and gentle feel to it like Fuck ‘Em Only We Know has. I think the line, “I knew your love before I kissed you” is one of the most unconditional declarations of desire and love I’ve ever heard. I could quite happily write an essay on this song and probably that one line, but I think the song explains itself. It’s so exposed in a way that just leaves you in awe.
Mind Games: Mind Games is brutal. It’s exceptionally harsh to the core. You can sense the hurt and betrayal in her voice. It possess a wealth of hurt that makes you flinch slightly at certain lines. The way she sings, “Do you see me now?” I think we can all relate to where we leave something, and someone else realises what they are losing (maybe) and you wonder if they ever noticed the times you tried and the times that were trying. This used to be such a hard song to listen to, but lyrically it’s one of her finest.
Trainwreck: Today she released the video to it. I really thought she couldn’t push herself further than she did with the Fuck With Myself video, but Trainwreck is on a different level. It’s easily my favourite off The Altar. I can’t count how many times I play it a day and how many times I’ve played it since September. I can’t pick out specific lines, I really can’t. It just perfectly expresses the demises of something that’s beyond repair and a person that’s beyond fucked up. The music and the lyrics fit so perfectly together. It’s a brilliantly produced record, and this song in particular shows how great the production is. This is the one I am most looking forward to seeing live in March.
This Is Not About Us: It wasn’t until recently that I paid this song the attention that it really deserves. I changed my mind on it because I read the lyrics before going back and listening to it. It picks up perfectly on relationship issues some have and that sometimes the issues aren’t you and the person, it’s something entirely differently and Banks goes into it in a way that some would rather shy away from than confront.
Weaker Girl: The way in which she sings the word “motherfucker” is one of my favourite moments on the record. This is easily one of the strongest songs on the record, obviously I love every song but this one is so tough and you know that although she exposes this vulnerable side- she’s tough too, and that side isn’t to be messed with. It’s the kind of song that’ll be nothing short of euphoric when she plays it live (I hope she does.)
Mother Earth: She released The Altar the day after I saw The Kills in Manchester. I remember listening to this song first, and the high I was on from seeing them and meeting Alison ended as soon as I listened to this. I don’t think I even played it in full. This is one of the most open songs on the record. Songs like Someone New and Under The Table from her first record are painful but beautiful. Mother Earth is exactly the same. This song shows how strong her voice is, how brilliant a writer she is. Her voice cracks at the right parts- the parts that need emphasising. It’s such a haunting song, and at times it is tough, really tough to listen to but the words are just wonderful.
Judas: This is one of the harsher songs on the record and you can really hear the disappointment in her voice, it’s like she’s singing it through gritted teeth in some parts. The way she projects hurt and betrayal is so beautifully executed. For me it’s all in this line, “Reminiscing all the backwards ways you made me stay. Begging me for thread, I think you need to change your brain.” I love how she references to exceptional songs from Goddess, and maybe these three songs are about one person in particular. That’s how you’re left thinking.
Haunt: This is another really open song, lyrically. The words are so full of hurt and such heavy sadness but she writes about it in a way that’s reassuring. I think it’s because she freely and easily calls the person out for hurting her. She’s openly saying it would have been better if the person cheated because that kind of hurt is easier to get her head around. Instead, this person is just a shitfest and they repeatedly haunt her, as she knows waiting for them just isn’t worth it anymore.
Poltergeist: Banks manages to really portray her hurt and anger in a way that is done purely through her voice. It’s not what she says, but how she says it. She effortlessly let’s her hurt out in her songs that makes you connect in all ways possible. She does it so well on Poltergeist and it is one of her most cleverly written songs, especially in the way she calls this person out. I think with this one she’s exposing Industry type idiots. The ones who just want something and don’t know how to deal with being challenged. Banks isn’t someone to mess with, and she expresses that so elegantly on this one. I love the line, “You mistaking all my mistakes for my crooked nature.”
To The Hilt: This one is on the same level as Under The Table and Someone New. It’s got this wealth of sadness to it that just breaks you. The sense of loss in this song is overwhelming. It’s an overwhelming song. When you listen to this through headphones, you can really pick up on her voice and she makes you feel as if you’re the one that she’s lost. There’s nothing worse than losing the one person that no matter what, believes in you. Trust me. But sometimes, years have to pass before you get them back and you get them back in a better way. Personally speaking. To The Hilt is one of the best songs Banks has written so far. It’s the ones that are the toughest to listen to that are the best because she really hits you in the gut with her words, and her vocals on this are so brave and so powerful. It’s truly one of the best things she’s done so far. It slowly builds and builds, and when it gets there- she gets you. She has you gripped.
27 Hours: There are three songs on this record that I play more than others- Lovesick, Trainwreck and this one, 27 Hours. This is perfect to end the record on because it has you playing it all over again. Maybe that was her intention, but this song again is another that shows how strong her voice is and how far she’s come since her EPs and probably Goddess was just a hint of what she’s about. It shows how destructive a person is, and the other person isn’t budging and she can’t work out why; “How can you not walk away after everything I’ve done?” It feels like she’s stuck in destroying things and can’t get out of the vicious cycle of doing so and is unsure how another person can stick with her for doing so. By no means does it feel like a love song, but maybe it is. Banks isn’t conventional and her kind of love songs are dark. Very dark and they’re the best ones. They are the ones that are easier to connect with.
The Altar is a body of unfiltered confessions, declarations and a comfort blanket. Her voice has gotten stronger, her writing cuts even deeper and is braver. She’s not afraid to be so open and vulnerable. She allows us to be fragile with her on the songs; this is a powerful connection and is truly a phenomenal record.
“My name on your lips Your air in my lungs Drowned in oxygen.”
It’s hard to write about a band you absolutely and unconditional adore without being biased. However, it’s not really in me to pick out any faults in a band I love- so I won’t. I’m going to just go on about how bloody fantastic the new record by The xx is and how waiting 5 years for I See You was truly worth the wait.
Unfortunately I can’t write about the boxset version of I See You as my copy is due to arrive next week, but that doesn’t matter. It won’t change my view on the record. It’s only 2 weeks into the New Year and I am fairly confident that I See You is going to be my favourite record of the year. I sometimes write about records track by track, and there are times where I feel there’s no need to do it. I was torn with doing this or not with I See You, and because I love every single song for different reasons- I am going to bore you to tears by going through each track.
Dangerous: After listening to the record well into double figures, I can safely say that Dangerous is the best way for the record to start. The sax in the intro that flows into the hook is amazing, and it sounds like this song would have fitted nicely on Jamie’s solo record, In Colour. Everyone fell in love with their first record and with the dark atmosphere they created. Brooding and so far from intrusive. There’s colour bursting out of this song and it is such a great way to start the record. You immediately know that their third record is about to cloud over everything that they had previously done. East London clubs are going to love this.
Say Something Loving: The sample of Alessi on this is amazing. Go listen to the original, then listen to Say Something Loving again. It’s so wonderfully done. For me, this song really shows how strong Romy and Oliver’s vocals have become- especially Oliver on this one. Romy has her turn, don’t worry. It’s the perfect song to drown everything out to, and let your mind wander off. The xx have always been that band for me that I go to when I can’t sleep and need to somehow shut off. More recently I’ve relied on Intro from their first record to get me through the aftermath of my panic attacks. Their music has always been a comfort to me, and Say Something Loving has that glorious euphoric build up that just transports you some place no one and nothing can touch you.
Lips: The gentle sample of Just (After Song Of Songs) is worked perfectly into this song. Romy’s voice is so delicate and full of love. This is a beautiful love song. It’s so pure and passionate. It portrays the kind of love most want and deserve. Everyone deserves to feel and to give this kind of devotion, and it’s the kind of feeling that makes you feel capable even when you’re as timid as mouse. It evokes not wanting to down from the high of being with the person you absolutely are besotted with, and to be honest why should you want to? Why should you ever? If it’s right, that gut feeling always remains.
A Violent Noise: Certain interviews they have done recently have been so open and raw. Oliver touched on his issue with alcohol in an interview I read, and it was sad to read but his support network got him through. For me, A Violent Noise seems to portray what he was going through and Romy’s part shows the side of a dear friend wanting to be there for him. It’s heart-breaking and so fragile, but that’s what makes the songs easy to connect with. They are by far one of the easiest bands to relate to because they place words together so freely, even if it is difficult for you or I to express how we feel. I like A Violent Noise is one of the easiest songs to relate to and make your own meaning for. I’ve connected it to something else (and that might be a massive error but still) and I think it’ll be one of those songs that just make any torment easy to cope with. Again, it has this euphoric build up towards the end. It makes you feel like you are isolated in a club with strobe lights flashing across your body, blinding you as you try to leave. You don’t need to always look back.
Performance: Of all the songs that The xx have ever done, I feel Performance may be their most difficult to listen to. Performance is Romy exposing herself in a way that you can only admire, and like A Violent Noise, you can relate to it and make it feel like it is your own words. Certain parts have hit home with these panic attacks I keep having and have zero control over. The hardest part of not being okay is pretending that you are. And that just exhausts you. Anyway, you don’t need to know. Performance is so vulnerable and Romy’s voice just captures that so perfectly. She does it a number of times on the record but this is definitely one of the stand out moments.
Replica: Oliver’s voice on this is a different level of beautiful and I think this is the kind of song that shows that they are so ready to play bigger venues. It sounds like the perfect song to play at the end of the show with everyone singing. It’s the kind of song that makes the Night Bus home easier. Again, there’s a wealth of comfort in this song and you can easily relate to it. I love the line, “Do I chase the night or does the night chase me?” The beauty in their songs is that you can take them however you want, and I think this line is a sentiment that a lot of us can relate to. I love the almost chanting of, “They all say I will become a replica. Your mistakes were only chemical.” It’s such a gorgeous lyric and it is sung so beautifully.
Brave For You: Lyrically, my favourite song off I See You and easily the one that means the most to me. It reminds me of someone who’s so so important to me. It just reminds me of them and I think that’s all I can write about it. They know, and that’s all that matters. It again shows how strong Romy’s voice has become and musically it is so tranquil and so powerful. “When the things don’t make sense, I have courage because of you.”
On Hold: It felt like they hadn’t been away when they first put out On Hold. It didn’t feel like eternity had passed upon waiting for new music from them. There’s been a steady growth in their music with each record so far, and On Hold shows this perfectly and was the best song to introduce us to I See You with. That sample from Hall & Oates is outstanding also. Again, I think this could have worked perfectly on Jamie’s In Colour record. The xx do have a certain sound, but at the same time (as clichéd as it may be) this and I See You in general sounds nothing like their debut or Coexist. The lyrics to On Hold are beautiful and really sad. They touch on that 90s dance style here with the upbeat music and sad music. They’ve always made it clear that they are fans of this, and they do it so well and it’s really well executed on this song. It makes you forget how sad the lyrics are because the music just hits you.
I Dare You: I Dare You sounds really good after Dangerous, the two songs feel like that they could both tell the same song. I wouldn’t be surprised if they chose this as a single in the future. It’s got this subtle sound to it that may cause it to be overlooked by the listener but I feel it is one of those songs that after you’ve listened to a few times, it becomes a favourite. The lyrics I think touch on the early stages of a relationship and how it can build and build into something great. There’s always been this unconditional innocence in their lyrics, and I Dare You sort of shifts away from this innocence into a cemented view. I love the guitar on this one.
Test Me: Sometimes when you come to an end of a record, you imagine what order you would put the songs. In this instance, I haven’t done it. Every song on I See You fits and flows perfectly. Test Me is a gorgeous way to end the record. Maybe it’s a song to each other, I have no idea. Jamie, Oliver and Romy have grown with each record and have been through things that influence their songs in ways most would want to hide away from. Test Me seems to provoke the idea that they’d much want the person in question to push and push them instead of being honest. We’ve all had that done to us and we’ve probably all done it. It’s such a shit situation to be in and to put someone in. The way they write about it on Test Me is done with such fragility. It feels like the night closing in. That’s what The xx feel like. They feel like night time taking over, when all that’s left is you and whatever you choose to surround yourself with when darkness falls. It doesn’t have to be a feeling that makes you feel isolated. From the 3 minute mark to the end of the song, Test Me builds in a way with their vocals echoing gently through. Calm hits. The xx are my version of calm, and thank god I have them.
I’ve read many reviews where some are comparing it to their first record and how nothing will compare to it. For me, I always find these comments to be really diminishing to the band in question. Why oh why would you want a band to keep making the same record over and over? The xx have evidently grown and grown up, and it shows in their music. Each record is a statement of that. I See You is a perfect reflection on all they have done, seen, felt and experienced since Coexist. It’s a body of work that takes the listener on an ethereal journey. You can chose where it takes you. Romy, Jamie and Oliver have this way of creating songs that just speak to the soul and soothe you. Sometimes you think you can’t love a band any more than you already do, then something like this happens. It’s just an outstanding record from start to finish.
Beat In My Bones. 