"My dad changed before my eyes"

(Somerfield magazine, August 2009)

Modern Skirts - All Of Us In Our Night

(Muso's Guide, July 3, 2009)

Album review

Launching a new business is the dream of hundreds of thousands across the globe.

As any fule kno, and as Sirallun would attest, the most important measure of any new business is to isolate a gap in the market and squeeze yourself into that niche. That way, you become that “thing” that so many people thought they couldn’t live without but couldn’t quite verbalise.

Sadly, there is no such stringency around the forming of a band. You can pretty much make any old noise and there’s airplay offered, because that’s what individual “taste” is about. Good news for Modern Skirts.

All Of Us In Our Night is their second studio album and the Athens, Georgia four-piece are awash with confidence and swagger throughout. Opener ‘Chanel’, starts up like Lee Marvin before kicking into a strummy American college rock paean to heroin “chic” featuring the line: “Cover up your tracks with a cardigan”.

The driving drums here hold the whole thing together, but the vocals fall on the wimpy side of rock. ‘Soft Pedals’ is tuneful and inoffensive, but the wistfulness of the meandering vocal starts to grate, all outsider posturing and musical wallpaper.

The high point musically is ‘Astronauts’, a melodic ‘I’m Only Sleeping’-style chugger, all stripped back guitars and vocal, before easing its way into a dainty-played pop suite of choral singing and listless wonderings: “I miss you, hope you stay”, the refrain goes, before the drums pick up a mere 2 minutes 9 seconds in, and a spin around a Beatles-esque musical world is the reward for the faithful.

Throughout All Of Us In Our Night, Modern Skirts are trying their hardest to woo. From the radio-friendly pop of ‘Eveready’ to the veritable lyrical nonsense of ‘Conversational’, this is best face forward, all “this is what you want” temptation.

But, even with the involvement of R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, there is something missing - some soul or heart, something real that Modern Skirts are offering above and beyond the usual. The best you can say about All Of Us In Our Night is the poppiness of tracks like ‘Motorcade’ - style over substance, but singalong enough for commercial FM.

Good news for Modern Skirts. Bad news for fans of good music.

Marc Carroll - Dust Of Rumour

(AU magazine, August 2009)

With all the swagger of a mid-Nineties Britpop beat combo, Irish singer-songwriter Marc Carroll’s third record is as timely as that intro implies. A gentle jaunt through songs of love, loss, and ‘auld Ireland’, Carroll’s view of life from his current digs in Los Angeles reflect his virtual obscurity here and his apparent acceptance over there, with Messrs B. Dylan and B. Wilson lining up to shake his hand. They know what they like – Dust Of Rumour does a really nice line in inoffensive, tuneful pop, but it’s not reinventing the wheel. Strictly for existing fans.

Nneka - No Longer At Ease

(AU magazine, August 2009)

Nneka's second record kicks off with the spirit that her 2006 debut promised. Making the most of her African roots, Nneka shows a terrific knack for marrying that with her European experiences, making sure to comments on social issues and pressures facing her native Nigeria. From tracks like 'From Africa 4 U' there is a definite maturity on show, while the chilled-out vibe of 'Streets Lack Love' is tailor-made for summer. Nneka is not alone in the recording of quality African female soulful hiphop, but hearing a work of such intensity in English can't fail to make an impression here.

Real life: "I must treat diabetes with respect"

(Somerfield magazine, July 2009)

Interview: Jo Pratt

(Somerfield magazine, July 2009)

Withered Hand - You're Not Alone

(Morning Star, June 28, 2009)

EP review

In a prime taster of the forthcoming full-length album, Edinburgh troubadour Dan Willson makes a gentle pitch for Scottish artist of 2009.

The CD was recorded with two of Scotland's best-regarded indie labels, with Willson also making the genius decision of involving Kenny Anderson - bard of Fife's East Neuk and one of Fence Record's brightest lights, as King Creosote and producer extraordinaire.

The high point here is Big Ten Four (Paul's Song), but all four tracks have a folky insouciance which the Fence guys and their collaborators seem to do so well.

Mundy - Strawberry Blood

(Morning Star, June 21, 2009)

Album review

"Big in his native Ireland" is not the most heartening way to describe an artist, but singer-songwriter Mundy seems to have made a splash in his home country and not so much as a ripple in Britain.
His fourth record Strawberry Blood follows up 2004 release Raining Down Arrows, a record which has proven platinum at home, so it's understandable that Strawberry Blood sees Mundy pursuing the same old line of gentle radio-friendly pop falling somewhere between The Thrills and Ronan Keating.
Nice if you like that sort of thing, which Britain apparently doesn't.

Eugene McGuinness - Wendy Wonders

(Muso's Guide, June 18, 2009)

Single review

Leytonstone’s chief troubadour is back with more wryly observed pith and middle England melancholia than you can shake a stick at.

‘Wendy Wonders’ is the epitome of Eugene McGuinness‘ split musical personality - one the one hand, an injection of punk with a side of snarling teen attitood, but on the other, a class which evades musical stars operating outwith the 1950s.

Vocally, Eugene’s echo-laden thrum owes more than a little to the mellow style of Matt Munro, the laconic beat drifting through like an early evening cabaret.

Opening on a spinning disco ball, the dreary club playing host to Eugene McGuinness and the Lizards in the ‘Wendy Wonders’ video really gives the Phoenix Club a run for its tired, tacky money.

Against a backing of tinsel and disco lights, a grey-t-shirted McGuinness mugs and giggles, all the while singing a maudlin ode to suburban sadness. Parading in the skinniest of jeans, there seems to be a definite risk of permanent physical damage among the onstage players.

Perfectly pitched to soundtrack a Smiths reunion night, there’s plenty of character in McGuinness’ never disappointing voice, and a myriad of funny lyrics make it clear that the apparent simplicity of ‘Wendy Wonders’ is a myth, and that there’s actually plenty going on here.

The lustful heartache of the lyric is a testament to young McGuinness’ sorcery, with lines like, “I’m a hollow man with twelve tin cans of woe” and “Wendy wonders why I’m still so cold/Proceeds to throw my stuff out the window”.

Emotional and intelligent, McGuinness has once again emitted a release which makes nothing of his tender years. Exquisite.

Sister Fa - Sarabah - Tales From The Flipside Of Paradise

(For The Record, June 9, 2009)

Album review

A truly committed campaigner, Sister Fa aka Fatou Mandiang Diatta has something of an axe to grind.

As Senegal's lauded 'Queen of Hip Hop', she is at the forefront of a serious campaign against FGM, or female genetic mutilation. Her interest in social themes and issues doesn't stop there - Sister Fa has something to say too on arranged marriage, AIDS, the plight of Senegalese soldiers... the list goes on.

But while this may sound a little worthy, please try and put it out of your head and just listen to this, her second solo record.

Opener 'Sister Fa La' is just the sort of cool self-referential record that kills on the rap and hip hop scene, underpinned by a crisp beat which smacks of modernity and the global influence of black music.

Throughout 'Sarabah – Tales From The Flipside Of Paradise', from the multilingual vocals - in Wolof, Manding, Jola and French - to the unique rhythmic make-up of the songs - mixing tribal beats with modern hip hop sounds - Sister Fa truly sounds like nothing else.

The record's high point, title track 'Sarabah' makes a virtue of the multi-lingual vocal and yet manages for all the world to groove like english language hip hop.

From the standpoint of social awareness, Sister Fa easily surpasses many posturing stars, but more than that - her incredible talent shines unwaveringly through her cool music and personal lyrics.

For hailing from the flipside of paradise, Sister Fa never fails to make a virtue of all of her gifts - making for one hell of an affecting record.