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| ...The mix of instrumentation works for the benefit of the songs, as it should, with a few flights of instrumental dexterity to flavour the stew. At nearly 75-minutes it’s a large chunk of music to get your head around but it is not a difficult listen and remains thoroughly entertaining throughout so it has to come highly recommended to anyone with a liking for grand scale symphonic constructs. |
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| KoMaRa...At times I was just lost in the moment, the sounds and pulses, rhythms and stark edges sweeping me away in a hypnotic weave. This is music to be heard in the present, at the point of creation on stage, and KoMaRa delivered beyond all expectations. |
| The Earls of Mars...the tight musicianship and Harry’s madman persona kept everything ticking over nicely. Six songs, the result a fantastically entertaining set that kept me smiling from start to finish. |
| Landskap...On a different night I think they would have worked better for me but my mind had already been taken to a very different place and I’m afraid that Landskap didn’t really do it to me. I enjoyed the EP when I went to have a listen after the gig and will certainly visit them again upon the release of their forthcoming next album. |
| Thumpermonkey...The angular guitar of Michael Woodman and deft keys from Rael Jones probed and questioned while the rhythm from drummer Ben Wren and current Guapo bassist Sam Warren nailed everything down beautifully...It’s very difficult to properly absorb new music like this in a live environment but I can’t wait to hear it in its finished form. |
| O.R.k...This is a band that tick lots of boxes: the playing is superb, the music edgy and unsettling but also not difficult to appreciate and in Lef they have a fine frontman. I hope they continue to work together, as a unit they are something of a dream team and tonight’s performance was immense. |
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| ...Twenty years is a long time to plough a furrow as uncompromising as this but Dreadnaught have achieved it by knowing that melody and other identifiable signposts most certainly have their place amongst the madness, a cheeky grin and a wink allowing them to get away with the more demanding stuff. It’s an utterly brilliant combination that in lesser hands would die a miserable death. Messers Lord, Walton and Habib, I salute you. |
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| ...As expected, there is much to enjoy here and Nos âmes saoules is an album that adds much to Lazuli’s catalogue of recorded works. However, it does not tell the whole story and the true majesty of Lazuli’s live performances remains elusive. This is a band that retains a uniqueness, both in their music and visually, and live is where the magic really happens. I cannot rate this band highly enough and despite the songs only telling part of the story they are the foundations and framework upon which the finished building is constructed on stage, patio, conservatory, crazy paving and all. Just go and see them whether you think you might like them or not. Oh, and buy this too, it’s great.
Magnifique! |
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| ...War and Peace is an album that improves as it goes along. It starts well but by the end it really has you, the band seem to improve in every element as you listen – and they aren’t bad to start with. It’s an uncanny effect that serves the album well as it moves from the pastoral to more sophisticated territories with ease in an eclectic storm of influence and inspiration. It’s a diverse listen that handsomely repays repeated plays, the variety of styles being successfully drawn into a cohesive whole with violin holding it all together. This is a feast of composition and ensemble performance.
What IS in a name? |
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| ...With prog dynamics and a jazz inflected funkiness, the performances throughout the album are excellent and the pieces put together with real passion and a sense of style. Republikflucht! …facing east is a particularly varied listen with a sincere message that has been delivered with real skill. Well worth checking out. |
