The Bucky Rage

Under The Underground
Rage

If the intention was to portray the band as light-hearted shock-schlockers the Glasgow four-piece’s mission is well and truly accomplished before the CD case is even opened more… “The Bucky Rage”

A Small Glass Ghost

∞
Xylem

First, introductions. A Small Glass Ghost is the latest nom-de-plume of one Alex Botten, who indie music aficionados may know as a member of Thee Moths, or Magnetic North Pole, or Lipsick, or Neurola, or DJ Homer… the list goes on.
The musica; genres covered is as wide-ranging as the aliases – starting back with indie and noise rock, moving through ambient and folk via full-on noise and musique concrete. The latter category is significant however – actual ‘tunes’ have been in fairly short supply of late.
This, then, is a step back to the olden days – in fact, Thee Moths’ album A Small Glass Ghost was one of the more musical offerings from Botten of late.
This heralds a return to actual songwriting, though the overall impression is still of a collection of abstract processed loops, beats, and disembodied voices.
But the left-field sounds here are ones which you could (at a push) whistle on your way to the shops, tap a foot to, even hum along to when they came on the radio. It’s as much Laurie Anderson as Aphex Twin, and more Kraftwerk than Stochhausen. From the gently pulsing opener ‘A Great Debate’ to the glitch-ridden Krautrock of ‘Station Signals Reprise’ that closes this eleven track collection of blips and beats, it is an engrossing journey through a urban soundscape. There are indiepop-esque moments, but it’s always edgy with backward vocals, scattershot beats and oddball interludes like ‘Music For Cats’ atonal noise – just so you don’t get too comfortable and a suggestion that Botten isn’t quite ready to making the fuzzy pop of his youth just yet. However, on the whole it’s not as difficult a listen as you might expect, with enough ‘nice’ moments and actual ‘tunes’ to pander to even the most pop-loving ear.

Tal National

Kaani
Fat Cat

If you ever listened to John Peel or moreso Andy Kershaw late at night then you’d have heard something a wee bit like this emanating from beneath the torchlit bedcovers. Tal National are from Africa – Niger to be precise – but the point is that to Western ears they’re lyrically incomprehensible, meaning that it’s all about the shifting rhythms and skewiff guitar work. And there’s plenty of that.
Language aside, it does take some tuning into – getting used to the way that guitar and drums sound like they’re using different time signatures, but persevere and you shall be rewarded. ‘Zigda’ does sound a bit like Baba Maal given some sort of smooth jazz production, but om the whole it’s more like the Bhundu Boys without the awful westernised production that ruined the band – Kaani has a bit more of a, whisper it, almost rock feel to it. It’s the angular guitar work that makes the difference – ‘Tchana Well’ is worth delving into as a starting point. Hypnotic without being too repetitive, the eight tracks here can be intense and at times a bit fast and furious, but the true sounds of Africa still shine through.

Various Artists

The Littlest Album
Puzzled Aardvark

Album reviews are in a way, pretty straightforward – unless they’re compilations, when you have by some unwritten rule to mention every band individually. more… “Various Artists”