JUNE 14'

Not a whole lot going on, but what is good so far this year has been very good. First Aid Kit is another prime example of this.

Enjoy the monthly playlist which is the top songs of the year so far!!

Melodious Haze - June 14'

Cheers

LF

Albums

Artist: First Aid Kit

Album: Stay Gold
Year: 2014
Similar Artist: Laura Marling, Fleets Foxes

My Rating: 8.5/10

The beautiful Swedish sisters have done it again! Yes that’s right, the third LP from sisters Klara & Johanna, known to most as First Aid Kit, have released a wonderful follow up to their 2012 sophomore LP The Lion’s Roar.

Stay Gold on the whole is more polished than previous efforts from First Aid Kit; yet it continues to exemplify the strengths that these two possess which are obviously their graceful vocals and fantastic song writing abilities. Often with more polish (a directive from a money hungry record company or a big name producer), the natural elements that make a band great can become lost, but nonetheless we haven’t lost a thing here, and in fact early signs would point towards this album potentially offering more than previous releases from the girls.

The harmonies are incredible and are layered throughout the record, heard best in songs ‘Fleeting One’ and ‘The Bell’. It is amazing to believe that two individuals can be so in tune with one another, yes, even if they are sister! One can only imagine what it’s going to be like hearing these beautiful voices light up the stage when they come to Melbourne in late July.

‘My Silver Lining’ has some psychedelic-esque strings wandering within creating ambience and another avenue to compliment the girls voices. ‘Master Pretender’ is an uplifting track and leads perfectly into early favourite ‘Stay Gold’. “What if the hard work ends in despair, what if the road won’t take me there” sing the girls so wistfully as if they are asking you to sing along with them!

‘Heavens Knows’ reminds me a lot of ‘King Of The World’ from The Lions Roar with its Country and Western guitar and upbeat cheerful tempo. Whilst closing track ‘A Long Time Ago’ winds things down significantly, I think its place is completely justified.

As you can probably tell from reading, I’ve had a lot of trouble reviewing this record. I have no idea why, but perhaps it’s just one of those things that you have to listen for yourself! Get your hands on a copy and enjoy….

Artist: Rodriguez
Album: Cold Fact
Year: 1970

Similar Artists: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Cat Stevens

My Rating: I can’t possibly rate this!

No, I’m not about to embark on another poorly written history listen and no, I’m not about to put you through a useless story of how I found myself listening to the great Rodriguez, instead I will suggest you watch 2012’s Academy Award winning documentary Searching For Sugarman. And if you really want to know my story then, please just ask as I’ll be more than happy to tell you!

Cold Fact is a bluesy folk record, with elements well ahead of its time; such as the eerie distorted synth layering throughout opener ‘Sugar Man.’ This appears to be a purpose built track, an introduction of sorts, but boy does it hit the spot. ‘Only Good For Conversation’ follows and is not the weakest track on the album, but one that is the most obscure in comparison to all the others. The heavy guitar wakes you from the slurky daze ‘Sugar Man’ put you in and almost feels out of place initially, however quickly finds its feet as it continues.

From here we experience something majestic; ‘Crucify Your Mind,’ ‘This Is Not A Song It’s An Outburst or Establishment Blues’ and ‘Hate Street Dialogue’ roll in to a melody of classic tracks and deliver us the real deal of what Rodriguez has to offer. It is simple, incredibly meaningful (just listen to the lyrics), catchy and everything is so brilliantly smooth. The guitar hooks, particularly that in ‘Hate Street Dialogue’ would marvel even the most prolific musicians of current eras, some 40-odd years later.

The record continues in similar fashion with another great track ‘Inner City Blues’ and then comes along ‘I Wonder’ – possibly the most well-known track off the record (although I’m not sure well-known is the correct term!!). The bass riff is unforgettable and follows you through the entirety of the song, the drum beat is effortless and on top of this you have Rodriguez singing such a simple melody; “I wonder about the love you can’t find, I wonder about the loneliness that’s mine…” It is such a shame that the song only goes for 2:30 minutes!

‘Rich Folks Hoax’ is a bluesy number that allows you to be transposed back into a dingy, smoke filled Detroit bar in the 70’s. It has that cold edge to it, both lyrically and musically but particularly that raspy crunch to the guitar. And finally ‘Like Janis’ finishes the album off with that same tone and acidity.

 How this record wasn’t a worldwide hit is beyond me, and beyond a lot of people, however the intrigue and innuendo surrounding this man’s life make it more of a masterpiece. This sure is one I’ll be listening to for years to come.

Artist: Fanfarlo

Album: Let’s Go Extinct
Year: 2014
Similar Artists: Buchanan, Jinja Safari, Freelance Whales

My Rating: 6.5/10

Here’s a bit of a surprise packet for 2014 and it comes in the form of Lets Go Extinct, the third studio album from London Based band Fanfarlo. They released Rooms Filled With Light last year and I must admit it hung around for a long long time, almost making an appearance on here, and I still have it on my Itunes however probably haven’t listened to it in 6 months.

I wasn’t expecting much on this record but have been happily surprised with what has been produced. There is a huge array of instruments (trumpet, violin, mandolin, synths) that combine to create at times, a circus like sound and yes that somehow sounds good!!

‘Landlocked’ is without doubt a five star track and will be right up there in the EOY singles list. The chiming keys are infectious as is the chanting “landlocked….landlocked…landlocked.” It simply makes you want to jump up and dance. ‘Cell Song’ is another good one, as is ‘The Grey And Gold’.

On the whole, its lacking that special the for the entity of the record, but the way fanfarlo are headed, album number 4 should be brilliant!! Worth a listen, just for ‘Landlocked’….