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Greetings, readers bought all three copies of my self-help guide, Stalking Chris Martin for the Common Cow. 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 collaborators review ’em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Jarvis Cocker‘s beard and his recent disappearance into the great Gillette in the sky. Now, if he could only sing ‘Like a friend’ whenever I go to the shower, life would be grand. Although ‘Mile end’ would be more fitting

Ah, singles, right:

Blacklisters – I Can Confirm That Ruth Abigail Holmes is Not Dead and is Planning to Make a Movie About Her Life

Also known as ‘I can confirm’, the newest single by Blacklisters (out on December 12), this devilish track by the Leeds quartet is another parade of their crunchy riffs and attitude. No wonder they just supported Future of the left, a pairing most excellent. The dissonances in ‘I can confirm’ are raw enough to make it a drone/grunge hybrid, which leads to a brutal ending. – Sam

Tomorrow we sail – The White Rose / Leningrad

I really like how this band can mix other instruments with their own human voices, with the voice of a girl and a man. This ensemble definitely gives a unison, a mournful balance that nourishes itself as the song advances, slowly incorporating drums.

The song starts to disintegrate at the middle of its length to come back to the piano, voice and violin formula, representing the necessary breadth to rewind the whole scene, leading to a sad reality, far from where our younger dreams planned to go.

However, there is this final élan given through crescendos, like the hope we all keep. This is definitely another song so complete that tells a story, in the fashion of a movie, in less than 10 minutes.

Now, ‘Leningrad’. As the sun brings its beams after a rainy day, these notes sound through my earphones. I can’t really get tired of the hope conveyed through this music. It’s a perfect configuration the foreign senses would identify as Celtic.

It’s the violin, the perfect balance through every song of Tomorrow we sail made by the masculine-feminine harmony, stating over and over again how they complement each other not only in music.

This song evolves as the echo of a memory triggered by any aspect: a noise, a picture, a person, a landscape, and then evolves until it explodes. It starts with ambient sounds, a violin then the voices. The exact middle of the song becomes the point where we remembered that name o special moments in our lives, where we discovered how that memory lead us inadvertently to the path we are walking now. It’s magic, nostalgia; it’s music to recall where we come from, to eventually describe our present.

Jay Leighton – Icarus & Me

The fresh and honest style of this singer is tone one that really captures my attention. The multi-layered sound and perfect definition of each and every sound is the signature of this, as again Jay Leighton becomes gravity and attraction to the band, becoming the main element and master on how a song develops.

It starts only with an accosting guitar to then incorporate the whole band, with timely participations, as if every chorus and word would evoke a sharp or deep sound delivered by a bass guitar, electric guitar, and even a tambourine and violins. Once all instruments are incorporated to this universe, they follow the basic idea but still got the freedom to bring any little piece of improvisation to it.

It is freedom , it is a soft voice and how everything is intertwined through one voice and a guitar; cohesiveness and a heart-felt, quiet performance. Great!

Forest Fire – Future Shadows  

We previously mentioned the awesomeness / strangeness of Forest Fire. We really did. Now with a funky video with wonderful stop motion goofiness, ‘Future shadows’ catchy nature is enhanced. It’s the clap-along nature of the rhythm or that lovable voice, half lullaby, half threat. Gotta love dinosaurs, they make everything better (just ask Calvin & Hobbes).  – Sam

Until next time, I’m Orestes Xistos and I rule this dump. See ya and kisses and (((sholay))) (((hugs))). I just wrote that to slag off Onslaught, ’cause he hasn’t answered to our request for an interview.  Who does he think he is, Magneto mixed with Charles “Cueball” Xavier? Bellend.

Links: 

Blacklisters Website. Facebook. Twitter. Bandcamp. Last.fm.

Forest Fire Facebook. Myspace. Blog.

Jay Leighton Myspace. Facebook. Big Cartel. Last.fm.

Tomorrow we sail. Facebook. Myspace. Bandcamp.