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Greetings, readers getting banned from a certain Sheffield dive bar after calling the owner a “bellend” (he/she deserved it, though, I REGRET NOTHING). Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human slaves review ’em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Venom and Carnage, those two idiot symbiotes from Spiderman,  and their recent foray into Benetton ads. What’s the deal with ’em, yo?

Ah, singles, right:

Cave Birds – Some Lightning Thrill

A song so elegant that you can almost feel the wheel of your brand new Cadillac while you wave goodbye to that Bond, James Bond man. A track so elegant that makes you feel like a millionaire just because you are listening to this.

This is a track that makes a timely use of synthesizers and perfectly combines them with organic elements, having so many twists and curves that make of rules and standards absent concepts in this development, being the bridge the only constant component. The way this song closes is just mind-blowing.

Excellent velvet voice transformed and obscured at a point of this song. Transitions are marked through strange sounds as glass breaking, guitar crescendos and little explosions, feeling almost like the perfect song for an action movie trailer, or a complex story explained through a song.

Late Night Fiction – Exit, Pursued by a bear

A lullaby of dissonance with some math rock bondooglery and a very angry voice. That would be the sound that Late Night Fiction have on ‘Exit, Pursued by a bear’, a song smoothly jumping from thoughtful musings into an aggressiveness that is both understated and right in front of you. The very calm and thoughtful intro is just waiting to pull a haymaker on you. Isaac Brock would be proud.  Incidentally, The Winter’s Tale is underrated. – Sam.

Rarechild – Common Crime / The Other Life

A dancey couple of songs by this trio from Brooklyn, New York. ‘Common Crime’ is a slow burn of grungy eletronica, where a disembodied, echoey voice adds a warm feeling to the cold, cynical beats that dance like long lost bits from the 80s. ‘The other child’ at first made me think of Lee Van Cleef in a rave, swiftly bustin’ some moves while everyone remembers that the clock goes back the next day. Much pacier than ‘Common crime’, it’s the one with the with moodier beat changes. Bob yer ‘ead to it. -Sam.

Ali Koehler – Unwell

A heartfelt and honest song having only the sound of an electric guitar, harmonica and bells, all arranged and embroidered so beautifully to deliver a song having pure styles of the 90’s. The voice becomes a strong factor to believe this so.

Even when the song title is not that inviting and lyrics talk about broken hearts and despair, this becomes the kind of song that makes you happy until you pay attention to the words floating on that merry melody.

Excellent guitar riff, it’s the one that would definitely stay in your mind for as long as you have a big smile upon your face.

Fresh Snow – Saturation Complete

And talking about complex stories explained through songs, we have a very good example here. This is a 12 min track with a very interesting group of statements, having only a guitar path as the reference to come back home, if we really want to.

This can be perfect for an outer space movie, having a well-defined introduction feeling almost like a 70’s movie (maybe because of the organ sounds), then shifting to the rising action beyond minute 3, as all elements of the song raise their voices and empower their statements.

There’s a visible distortion in sounds conveying a special texture, reaffirming this may be a movie that turned into music. The climax comes like a persecution and starts from minute 5, and all notes are intertwined in such a manner that really make you get involved and imagine each and every scenario created, as the effect of classical music on listeners.

Our dénouement starts at minute 7 providing clearer notes, as to explain this is a happy ending, slowly giving in to the falling action with interesting story twists. Maybe everything is not what it seems.

In the meantime, you can create your very own story and context having this song as a reference.

Tomorrow We Sail –Threads

An overture speaking words of contemporaneous past and memories, a perfect union of voice and strings all tuned in the same channel, reminding us that we are actually in perfect tune with everything that surrounds us.

This is ‘Threads’, by Tomorrow We sail, and it truly is a moment of magic and grandeur conveyed through two voices intertwined: male and female. It is all about balance, and empowerment of words.

Even when I am talking about a 8 min. long track, it really leaves you wanting for more as atmospheres vary from classical to almost baroque concepts, all mixed with a rather folky rhythm in the vocal duties, echoed accurately to give that ethereal character to a human voice.

This is indeed a moment for magic, nostalgia and goose bumps.

Azitiz – What is love? 

Part of a new compilation curated by Telepathe (here), ‘What is love?’ is a melting pot of genres: Asian music, chill downtempo and maybe a bit of old school rap. The eternal question about “what is love?” might not be answered, but you get a reference to How Stella got her groove back, which is a very good film. You get two (2) remixes, one by curators Telepathe, which render it a more cybernetic version (imagine a bunch of Cybermen throwing shapes, there ya go). The other remix is by Alphabets Heaven and is more trip hoppy, right for chillin’ down. Extra track is ‘Kids killing kids’ by Damgroove. It’s got a good beat and a catchy (but dark) hook. Play this one to Wesley Snipes and maybe he’ll start hunting vampires again. -Sam. 

Oh, if soundcloud is down (again, sniff) here’s a bandcamp.

Noel Gallagher – Hey, Liam, I’m the one with the talent.

Yes he is, but both are massive bellends. – Jonny Sock

Catch us up next week when we slate another shit band (not Morrissey, it’s too easy). Until next time, I’m Orestes Xistos and I rule this dump. See ya and kisses and (((sholay))) (((hugs))). I will be interviewing Onslaught next week.

Links: 

Fresh Snow. Soundcloud.

Ali Koehler. Bandcamp. Twitter. Tumblr.

Tomorrow we sail. Facebook. Myspace. Bandcamp.

Cave Birds. Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter.

Late Night Fiction. Facebook. Myspace.

Rarechild. Facebook. Myspace. Tumblr. Soundcloud. Bandcamp.

Carbon Logic (curated by Telepathe. Bandcamp.