Tag Archives: indie

Mammoth Penguins : Here, LP released May 2024

The long-awaited new album from Mammoth Penguins arrives, opening with the powerhouse blast of ‘Species’, previously released as a single and superbly showcasing their musical clout and lyrical acuity. Following next is the light touch of ‘I Know The Signs’ where the simplicity of the words ‘…It’s all in the way you smile…I had my guard down…I wasn’t trying to impress anyone…’ belie the deeper feelings.

The attractive dissonance of ‘Flyers’ fires another neat anthem; a mini-history of many a struggling band. ‘Everything I Write’ is a pure but dark pop gem ‘…you don’t listen to what I say….I have to tell you the same thing two to three times a day…’. The title track ‘Here’ departs into a lusher sound featuring strings and builds a rich atmosphere over five and a half minutes.

The staccato guitar of ‘Old Friends’ underpins a realistic sentiment delivered wistfully by band composer Emma Kupa ‘….I can’t believe we made two lemonades last all night….why did we wait twenty years to laugh like old times?….’ while ‘Lost Friends’ acoustically echoes some of the same regrets.

And there are more tracks to savour on this excellent collection; the sleeve artwork may be monochrome but the songwriting, performance and production is full of depth and colour.

(Catch Mammoth Penguins Live!, at The Blue Moon in Cambridge 23/05/2024 with support from Huia Fun Club and Broken Chanter)

https://www.facebook.com/MammothPenguins

Psychic Lemon : The Unheimlich Kingdom, LP released 29 February 2024

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The much anticipated new long player from Cambridge-based psychedelic stalwarts, Psychic Lemon…

Trepanning For Gold The band drill into your head with this brash opener; a repeating three chord hyper-distorted guitar riff and a hypnotic drum pattern enhanced by cymbal clashes. Halfway through the guitar solo ascends into space and drifts off into the ether.
Cognitive Dissidents This sparse intro could be the start of an edgy sixties pop song, but don’t be fooled; the guitar smashes in and the track becomes an inverted twist on Pink Floyd’s Interstellar Overdrive.
National Psycho Geographic Frenetic drumming and doom-laden bass with a siren call from a guitar duelling with itself and eventually unleashing the dark hordes of Mordor.
The Unheimlich Kingdom The band have now reduced to two members but there is no decrease in their creativity as this 21-minute title track clearly shows. Underpinned by a rich and unchanging bass pedal root, the instrumentation subtly evolves at the speed of tectonic plates, pulling in the listener to a weird world of metronomic percussion and guitar strings being tortured and deformed. It is a triumphant achievement; bleak, despairing…..but totally addictive.

http://www.psychiclemon.co.uk

TVAM, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 1 February 2024

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Amethysts opened the show with their spectral and special blend of vocals, electronics and effects laden guitar, and tonight there is the addition of a live drummer. From the flourish and catchy chorus of ‘How It Is’ through the echoing guitar-driven ‘Pressure Makes Diamonds’ and the classy yearning pop of ‘My Love’ it all works beautifully.

TVAM is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist and singer Joe Oxley, his vocals and guitar complemented on stage by extra keyboards and drums. It is a huge, enveloping sound for the whole set after the stately prelude of ‘Future Flesh’ gives way to a wall of dense beats and electronic textures.

Words blend in like another instrument and add an extra dimension to the tracks, many from his most recent LP ‘High Art Lite’. The evening ended with the epic ‘Total Immersion’, continually building in layers and relentlessly brilliant.

https://t-v-a-m.bandcamp.com

https://weareamethysts.bandcamp.com

Jo Ash : Idols, single released February 2024

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The engaging new single from composer/musician Jo Ash muses on the ups and downs of fame, channelling the persona of a lone singer in the spotlight; with her rich vocal telling the story over a lush keyboard and percussive backing. The strong chorus cuts through as the emotional core of the track, ‘….What did she feel when they cried out for more…what did they do when she fell to the floor….and now they’re all gone…could she ever be lonely….’, the catchiness of the music hiding the darker tones within the lyrics.

This thoughtful song is accompanied by a video featuring Jo in multiple studio roles of performance and production as well as a cameo appearance on the wall from the cracked actor himself David Bowie, perhaps the ultimate musical idol?

https://www.joashmusic.com

Yoke : Yeah, EP released December 2023

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Created from notable Cambridge bands (moonstrips, baby seals, model village, doyouthinkhesaurus – all reviewed elsewhere on this site…), Yoke release their debut EP. It is probably unique in that it is an unplayable disc with embedded seeds to be planted (‘..when you have grown tired looking at it…’)

Yeah. The title song rolls some keyboard idling around a tight two chord pulse while the drums make glorious noise throughout. Not sure what the verses are about but no mistaking the chorus,’...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Yeah, Yeah..‘.
Game of Crows. This psychedelic onslaught is dark and deep with a killer descending line to the words ‘…. if we take our medicine…’ The spooky organ solo gives way to soaring guitar as this track shows off the band at full power.
Wayne Coyne. Starting off as a pastoral guitar and piano interlude, this enigmatic piece of baroque rock later unleashes waves of anthemic sounds.
Tortoise. This grand finale fuses together musical ideas from the rest of the EP, built around a pounding and ominous slow marching structure. The haunting vocal refrain stays in the mind, as do many moments from this choice collection of spiky art-rock.

https://www.facebook.com/yokemusic

https://oooyokeooo.bandcamp.com/album/yeah-ep

Chloe Mogg : The Crazy One, LP released September 2023

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The debut album from singer/songwriter/guitarist Chloe Mogg opens with the dark country blues of the title track ‘The Crazy One’, the noisy guitar duelling with Chloe’s bitter words. ‘Permission’ is another strong vocal performance with a great hook ‘…I don’t recall asking for your permission….I was in control all the time, wasn’t I?…’. ‘Bryony’ revels in an atmosphere of sinister nostalgia with an unusual rhythmic pattern while the compact pop of previously released single ‘Heaven Sent You’ revolves round a neat hook and another bold vocal.

‘Better Off’ has the changing dynamics of Chloe’s voice weaving around a stealthy guitar riff to great effect. ‘Understood’ is a key track on the LP, an extended musing pivoting around the anguish of the recurring phrase ‘…..Oh it must be love or something close…. ‘cause I’ve never understood….’ with the song being given plenty of time and space to immerse the listener. There are quieter moments; the acoustically driven ‘Cut Me Off’ and the reflective swirling waltz of ‘The Only One’ all add to the rich emotional depth and musical texture of this impressive debut.

https://www.facebook.com/chloemoggmusic/

emzae : All Those Things I Thought I Knew, LP released 1 Sept 2023

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A summation of her spellbinding single releases and with a temptation of new tracks, this long-player from singer/songwriter/musician emzae finally arrives.

Starting with the up-tempo ‘Overrated’ as a statement of intent then ‘As This Day Fades to Another’ is a punchy and sparse groove, while ‘Strip Lights’ is a mini-movie of alienation over a mellow flow of synthesiser and percussion. ‘Another Lesson Learnt’ shows how she can sustain and develop an idea over a longer time, with a lyric built around the central idea ‘…I want to belong… just like anyone….what do I have if i’m not rushing into the future?…’.

The lush and hypnotic atmosphere of ‘Lucid Dreaming’ takes the listener to another place, even if it is a bit unsettling ‘…going through the motions like I got this in control….balancing personas but I can’t restrict my soul…’ ‘I Guess, Anyway’ is the central track of the album; a rich six minutes of lyrical density and melodic elegance that fully immerses the listener in the swirling waltz, but the self narration of ‘Clairvoyant’ also cuts right to the core. ‘Extraordinary’ and ‘THRIVE’ increase the pace with sharp hook lines and concise pop sensibilities, as does the slinky beats and knowing words of ‘It’s All Cyclical’.

With her deeply personal lyrics and the subtle musical touches that infuse each song ‘All Those Things I Thought I Knew’ is an impressive collection from this electro-pop alchemist.

https://emzaemusic.com/

https://emzae.bandcamp.com/album/all-those-things-i-thought-i-knew

Jen Dixon : Less Than A Feeling, EP released 30 June 2023

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A track by track review of the new EP from UK singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist Jen Dixon…

1.Over You From a gentle introduction this develops into a big echoing ballad reflecting the big skies and ocean of the North East coast shown on the EP artwork.

2.What If Previously released as a strong single, the complex musical arrangement ebbs and flows underpinned by a drum pattern and an urgent guitar figure but it is the constant questions in the chorus lyrics ‘…what if this…what if that…’ that is the heart of the song.

3. Fighting In The Shadows Built around the title phrase this is another fine vocal performance and full-on band showcase, with a subtlety and grace to the quieter verses.

4. Number 13 With a rockier feel in contrast to the previous tracks, Jen delivers the vocal with emotional force edged with pensive regret. The chorus stays lodged in your head, ‘….you’re holding a smoking gun…’

5. Less Than A Feeling Probably my favourite on the EP, another guitar driven rocker with a belting vocal and a live sound; soaring and bristling with electric energy.

https://www.facebook.com/jendixonmusic

Panic Pocket: Mad Half Hour, LP released June 2023

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A new LP from Panic Pocket starts with the bold ‘Get Me’, a two chord fuzzy guitar riff underpinning an unsettling lyric, before the playfully acerbic ‘Still the Bad Guy’ restores the balance musically. Title track ‘Mad Half Hour’ has the catchiest chorus to lodge in your brain then big ballad ‘Say You’re Sorry’ features sweeping sixties vocal and instrumental flourishes which is all rather gorgeous and is my favourite song on the album.

The darkish heart of the collection is reached with stories that inhabit the melancholic minutiae of relationships in ‘Boyfriend’ (‘….I’m so glad you’re happy…but don’t swap every “I” for “we”….) and ‘Cheryl (Red Is The Bluest Colour)’ (‘…everyone else has a plan…comfort’s no substitute for romance…’).

This album is recorded as a four piece with a full sound but it is the vexed fun of older songs ‘Mr Big’ and ‘Don’t Get Me Started’ that bring bank the duo’s lo-lo-fi origins and as on all these tracks their knack for strong song writing continues to shine through.

https://www.facebook.com/panicpocket/

Carterband : How Do I Work This?, LP released June 2023

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A new recording from Carterband, led by musician David Carter, a member of multi-talented Cambridge collective Lizard Brain. Featuring a full range of genres and moods, the LP is crafted carefully into neatly structured songs that invite the listener to become part of David’s unique musical world.

The opening pair of sparse poppy three minute bursts roll along nicely with a bonus of sonorous sax on ‘Calling Any More’. The gentle jazzy meditation of ‘Waterloo Station 20/07’ is an attractive listen with thoughtful lyrics (‘…harmonies are harder in a minor key…’, ‘….riding tandem with the random traffic in our lives…’) then ‘Good Men Do Nothing’ features some bitter political reflections. The next two tracks are longer, intriguingly dense and dark with mellow instrumentation that fits perfectly, especially the piano and saxophone to frame the inverted domestic bliss described on my favourite track ‘Everything Is Fine’.

‘Jet Pack’ is fizzing punk energy followed by ‘Safe From Harm’, featuring a string quartet and haunting vocal. ‘Always’ is a classy end to this excellent album; an effortless ballad with acoustic guitar, trumpet and the definitive final statement ‘….the times we’ve spent together are the best days of my life…..and the best part of me is with you……I’ll always love you….’

http://www.carterband.uk