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April 22, 2017April 24, 2017

INTERVIEW: Chris Tye

Words by Ed King / Video by Trapeze Film

On Friday 21^st April, Chris Tye released his third studio album – Stronger in Numbers. Launching the LP with a special gig at Ort Café on Saturday 22^nd April, with support from Hannah Brown, Chris Tye will be playing the full track list off Stronger in Numbers alongside selected songs from his back catalogue.

Tickets to Chris Tye’s Stronger in Numbers album launch show are priced at £6.60 (inc booking fee). For direct Ort Cafe gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Birmingham Review last spoke to Chris Tye nearly three years ago, when the singer/songwriter was releasing his previous LP – The Paper Grenade. For the full interview, click here.

Now Stronger in Numbers sits on the table, with ten new tracks and the reworking of an old favourite, ‘No Sing’. Michael Clarke is back behind the glass, with the entire LP being recorded and engineered at Clarke’s King’s Heath based studio – with a who’s who of local musicians jumping in across the album.

Dan Whitehouse, Vijay Kashore, Paul Connop, Jo Hamilton, Jayne Powell, Simon Davies, Michael King and Anna Bennett (Boat to Row) all feature on various tracks, with Jon Cotton working on ‘No Sing’ alongside Tye and Clarke. It’s a rich collage, and a testament to Chris Tye’s quiet reverence within Birmingham’s music community. Although he’ll never admit it.

Birmingham Review grabbed the man once again, for a coffee and chat at Cherry Reds on John Bright Street. We even got him to play the title track off his new album, the deeply personal and pertinent ‘Stronger in Numbers’.

Watch our interview with Chris Tye below, or visit the Birmingham Review YouTube page for this and others. ‘Stronger in Numbers’ is performed at 20mins 44secs.

Chris Tye @ Cherry Reds 21.04.17

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Chris Tye launches his latest album, Stronger in Numbers, at Ort Café on Saturday 22^nd April – with support from Hannah Brown. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.ortcafe.co.uk/chris-tyehannah-brown

For more on Chris Tye, visit www.christyemusic.wordpress.com

For more from Ort Cafe, visit www.ortcafe.co.uk

For more from Cherry Reds, visit www.cherryreds.com

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017

ALBUM: Risk to Exist – Maxïmo Park

Words by Damien Russell / Pic by Ed Taylor

Those of you who know Maxïmo Park’s back catalogue will know they are a band who’ve had a little bit of everything over the years: diversity and cohesion, political and emotional, good reception and bad. It would be fair to say that their latest album, Risk to Exist, might be something of an unknown.

The first thing I should say is that this review will contain spoilers. So stop reading now if mystery is something you need in your life before you listen. The reason I say that is that while Risk To Exist has many elements, subtlety is not among them; it would impossible to do any comprehensive review without giving at least some of the game away.

Okay, so the nod to mystique done. Risk To Exist is an 11-song rollercoaster of an album that is instantly recognisable as being Maxïmo Park. Also this is a political record, and it’s clear to see that in the world according to Maxïmo Park politics is in a bad way.

There is a change in mood and emotion in the lyrics as you listen through the record, but also the consistent feeling of dissatisfaction and negativity. Almost at times like moving through the five stages of grief, perhaps missing out the bargaining stage. There is a bouncy melancholy to the album’s opener, ‘What Did We Do to Deserve This’, and the closing track ‘Alchemy’ has a feeling of resignation and being thankful for what you have that rounds the whole thing off nicely. The middle is a melee of anger, confusion and disappointment, with a side order of resentment for good measure.

Of course all of those negative emotions are tempered by Maxïmo Park’s sound and musical style, so an angry song (lyrically) is at times wrapped in a bouncy 80’s synth-pop style; ‘What Did We Do to Deserve This’ is a great example.

That’s not to say the band’s sound hasn’t evolved; through the album Maxïmo Park are both of, and outside, ‘their time’ in equal measure. They capture that early ‘00s Alt-Pop sound and then slide into an 80’s synth-fest, rolling back out again to give a nod towards the rock stylings we all know from ‘Our Velocity’.

It would be overstating to say that the changes in sound are seamless and it would be easy for a casual listener to hear a ‘collection of songs’ rather than an album. But it became clear to me while listening to Risk to Exist that the subject matter brings the whole thing together in a clever way. Although I wonder if the presentation might make this record become dated more quickly, and there are times I found myself listening and wishing that the lyrics had been made a bit less obvious to give more room for interpretation and for me, the listener, to put a bit of myself into what I was hearing. I hesitate to use the word ‘preachy’ but I was thinking it at times; perhaps that will divide listeners, riling those of a different opinion.

I’ve always been a fan of politics and music working side by side, to try to affect positive change. But there is a difference between encouraging unity and positive action and railing against a mood and time that you don’t agree with. Personally I think Risk To Exist has crossed into the latter, which does dilute the message a little.

In summary, Risk to Exist is a good album. Perhaps not a great album, but there are a few tracks on it that I would listen to over and over. My personal favourites are ‘What Did We Do to Deserve This’, which I mentioned earlier, and ‘Work and Then Wait’ – a mid-album track that could definitely be another single, and quite a successful one too.

It will be interesting to see what their overt political leanings bring to the live stage as Maxïmo Park tour their sixth studio album across the UK. Birmingham get’s its first chance to find out on the 5^th of May at the O2 Institute, then again at the inaugural Beyond the Tracks festival on Sat 16^th September.

‘Risk to Exist’ – Maxïmo Park

Risk to Exist by Maxïmo Park is out on general release from 21^st April, via Cooking Vinyl. For more on Maxïmo Park, visit www.maximopark.com

For more on Maxïmo Park at the O2 Institute, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham/events/928783/maximo-park-tickets

For more on Maxïmo Park at Beyond the Tracks, visit www.beyondthetracks.org

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017

EP: Feel OK – GIRLI

Words by Ed King

The first time I saw GIRLI I thought she was a joke – a clever pastiche of ‘yoof culture darn sarf’ by a fresh faced character actor in their twenties. Then I saw Milly Toomey stand up in parliament and deliver a cohesive rib dig at the spectre of nepotism and the responsibility of each school to support each student. So… not a joke then.

Today GIRLI (as Ms Toomey is currently standing up to be counted by) releases her Feel OK EP – a three track studio based record, featuring some respectable names from the UK grime scene: Lethal Bizzle, King Henry, Diztortion. Google.

Opening with ‘Not That Girl’, the EP’s lead single that came out in earlier in the year, the most immediate impression is pace. Far from the ‘raucous whirlwind of teenage chaos’ of GIRLI’s live shows, or the electronic cacophony and high pitched vocals of her previous singles, the beat confidently saunters behind an almost patios pentameter. It’s good stuff, clear and confident. And regardless of what you may/may not have thought of GIRLI before, lyrically astute.

The EPs second track, ‘Feel OK’, steps back to a more direct melody based pop rap hybrid. Fair enough, we’ve all got to sell units. But by the time MC Bizzle is telling me about “chilling on a sofa” I’ve started to switch off. If you can get past the 1min 47sec mark then make your own mind up… and I’m sure that you will.

‘Find My Friends’, the final part of this teen triptych and a three and a half minute monologue on a somewhat darker edge, is the glacier cherry on this overtly pink trifle.

Literally and figuratively walking us through the disappointment of an over hyped house party, dodging dodgy dealers and garrulous egos, GIRLI carries her acerbic torch room to room and out onto the street again. It’s intelligent, witty and recognisable to anyone over the age of fourteen. And whilst this caustic commentary won’t make you popular, when you’re challenging both your peers and the establishment (dressed head to toe in pink or leopard print) integrity can be a useful place to fall back on.

But the joke, it seems, continues to stalk Ms Toomey; GIRLI is out on tour with Declan McKenna later this year, with nothing but age tying them to a bill poster (O2 Institute 24^th May).

But I’m older, a professional cynic and not GIRLI’s target demographic on PMR Records’ marketing plan (at least, I fucking hope I’m not) so it doesn’t matter what raises a wry smile from me.

The important thing here is that pop, with all its garish forms of hell sent harpies, may have found a decent female role model – complete with enough strength, sparkles and swear words to galvanise the right people at the right places.

And whilst John Bercow is probably safe from fielding another well phrased tongue lashing, something tells me GIRLI has more significant comments to proffer. By pop record or youth parliament, they’ll no doubt reach us one way or another.

‘Not the Girl’ – GIRLI

Feel OK EP by GIRLI is out on general release from 21^st April through PMR Records. For more on GIRLI, visit www.girlimusic.com

April 20, 2017April 20, 2017

BREVIEW: The Big Birmingham Soul Night @ Town Hall 15.04.17

Words by Charlotte Heap / Pics by Paul Stringer

Stepping into Birmingham Town Hall for the Big Birmingham Soul Night is like stepping back in time. Veterans of the Motown scene, clad in the classic wide-legged Oxford Bags, plimsolls and Ben Sherman polo shirts, dominate the giant wooden dance floor with their distinctive moves.

The spins, kicks; and shuffles (equally exhausting and joyful to watch) are tricky for a Northern Soul newbie to emulate but this doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of this all-nighter. The Night Owl, itself a relative newcomer to the scene, presents an impressive line up of DJs in an equally impressive venue. The listed splendour of the Town Hall and its sprung dance floor dovetails nicely with the nostalgia of original vinyl sounds. The bill, topped by legendary DJ Colin Curtis, kept the dance floor full throughout with famous 4-4 beats.

For many of the dancers, this is clearly a relished opportunity to relive their youth and, truthfully, that’s what gives the evening its authenticity. There’s a cathartic, carefree atmosphere: a sense that these ageing Mods have been waiting for this very moment to unleash years of pent up rhythm. Strangely, it’s the younger attendees that seem almost peripheral to the action, imitating but never quite improving upon the confidence of the originators.

The music, both in the stunning main room and downstairs bar, ranges from the familiar to the rare – reflecting the original scene. DJs like Curtis hunted down American Soul 45s and brought them to the hungry masses in the North West where DJs and dancers alike tried to outdo each other with the hardest-to-come-by vinyl and the hardest-to-execute moves. Memorabilia and record stalls add to the sense that this is an event for the serious Soul fan.

The tiny downstairs bar proved to be the only real detraction: the valiant staff struggled to quench the thirst of the sweating crowd in good time. For the dedicated ‘Soulies’ this made little difference; for the more casual participant it was an annoying inconvenience. This could be easily rectified should the organisers decide to partner again, which they should.

(Ed’s note… after some post party exploration, we were told there had been another bar lurking at the back of the entrance level but most people didn’t know about it. BBSN organisers were already on the case, so next time… please drink responsibly.)

The Night Owl, recently voted Best New Venue by Birmingham Mail, has clearly filled a niche at its bar in Digbeth: it is the only dedicated Motown destination in the Midlands in decades. There’s an apparent appetite for Northern Soul and this partnership was an effective advert for the budding Birmingham Soul scene.

The issue for the organisers now is how to convert the nostalgia into real hunger for more. For the scene to thrive where previously it had withered and died, it will need to attract new, and, dare I say it, younger disciples.

For more from The Night Owl, visit www.nightowlbirmingham.com

For more from the Town & Symphony Halls, visit www.thsh.co.uk

April 20, 2017April 20, 2017

THE GALLERY: You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

From the queues of fans snaking around the O2 Academy in all directions, it’s clear to see that You Me At Six still have a dedicated fan base. Groups of youngsters, decked in band hoodies and Vans trainers, sit on the ground eating takeaway pizzas that have been delivered to the queue. I get chatting with a group of girls who have been queuing since 12:30pm – an impressive feat, considering that doors weren’t scheduled to open until 7pm.

Security work as quickly as they can to usher everyone inside, and it isn’t long before people are jostling for space in the 3000 capacity venue. I’m interested to see how the night’s first band, Black Foxxes, stand up to the packed crowd; they had played The Rainbow a few months beforehand, so this was a definite leap for the Exeter based trio.

Although seemingly cramped at the front of the stage due to You Me At Six’s piles of gear behind them, Black Foxxes still managed to open strong despite a number of technical mishaps – in all my life I’ve never seen a guitar tech work as quick as theirs did to repair Mark Holley’s broken string.

It was refreshing to see a band who had truly started out small and worked their way to the top with such fierce determination as these guys, and it simply shone through their music. Black Foxxes’ depressive rock flirted expertly with soulful melodies, descending at times to tones so inexplicably raw I felt they could be carving out their own genre.

Next were Tonight Alive – one of the few mainstream alternative rock bands to be female fronted. Jenna McDougal is seen as a rebelling goddess by much of the band’s female fanbase, and played on this by cavorting across the stage in a pair of white angel wings. The hit and miss sound was made up for by the band’s theatrics, while the lighting was simple superb. Although I’m not a huge fan of the Tonight Alive’s latest releases, they went down just as well with the crowd as their older heavier material.

When You Me At Six took to the stage, I was scared the crowd barrier may snap from the thousands of people who surged forward. Kicking off with their latest single, ‘Night People’, the band went on to deliver one of the most astounding sets I think I’ve ever seen.

Cycling through some of their better known hits such as ‘Underdog’ and ‘Save It For The Bedroom’, with some of their newer material thrown in, it was clear to see that these boys won’t be slowing down any time soon.

Plus if you’re a true lover of good sound then it’s worth seeing You Me At Six play live just to listen to their technician’s mix – as true to the albums as you could possibly get. Complimented by an incredibly designed light show, it made for an impressive looking and sounding production.

Josh Franceschi interacted with the sold out O2 Academy crowd on a truly intimate level, preaching the band’s beliefs of equality and love for all. And finishing with the track ‘Room to Breathe’, from their No1 album Cavalier Youth, it’s clear to see that You Me At Six are still working hard – paving their way on the alternative rock scene.

Check out some of Eleanor Sutcliffe’s pics from You Me At Six, Tonight Alive and Black Foxxes at the O2 Academy (B’ham) below, or click the relevant links for the Full Flickr of Pics.

You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Brmingham Review

For more on You Me at Six, visit www.youmeatsix.co.uk

Tonight Alive – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Tonight Alive, visit www.tonightaliveofficial.com

Black Foxxes – supporting You Me At Six @ O2 Academy (B’ham) 10.04.17 / Eleanor Sutcliffe – Birmingham Review

For more on Black Foxxes, visit www.blackfoxxes.com
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For more from the O2 Academy (B’ham), including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from Kilimanjaro Live, visit www.kilimanjarolive.co.uk