James Attwood

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018

BREVIEW: Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.18

Words by Cariss Auburn & Ed King / Pics by Callum Lees

On Saturday 18^th August, Project Soundlounge returned to Birmingham’s Town Hall for its 6^th annual event. With entry free all night, a line up including Jerry Williams, Lady Sanity, Population:7, Riscas, FABRIK, and Cariss Auburn took to the Town Hall stage from 5pm.

Showcasing some of The Midlands’ brightest bands and musical stars in the making, Project Soundlounge is a one day festival organised by a collective of 16 to 25 year olds – giving young people a chance to promote a live music event in one of the most prestigious venues in the city. Seriously, this is quite an incredible opportunity for our region’s fledgling creatives. When I started out I had Slipmatt in The Dance Factory…

Although, giving young promoters such a large venue to play with – albeit a beautiful cavern – may not be the most confidence inspiring first foray into the world of selling tickets. Even if they’re for free.Promoting live music is hard, promoting it in Birmingham is even harder, and getting over 1,000 people to give up their Saturday is no mean feat. Ask Live Nation. Or whoever promoted the last Ani DiFranco gig within these walls.

But Project Soundlounge presents a good local line up. Not box ticking-public funding good either, but actually good. As in, I’d-pay-money-to-see-that kind of good. As in, i’d give up my Saturady. So here, with the programme, Project Soundlounge is not a hollow gesture – or even worse, a patronising pat on the back for people who need something to stick on a CV. It’s a confident first step – one that would have a decent crack at a lower end three digit capacity. And whilst other initiatives are out there purporting the same ‘opportunity for young people’, I’ve seldom see any that come this close to such a firm foot forward for both the people playing on stage and those that put them there.

But, as I can hear tired yawns from too much sycophantic copy floating in (a noise I’d probably be making if I wasn’t the one writing it) who better to tell you what’s what than someone at the centre of it all.

Carris Auburn is a Wolverhampton based ‘singer-songwriter and self-taught producer’, whose debut Unphased EP is worth some serious attention – gathering accolades from Glastonbury’s emerging talent hawks to longstanding soul legend Alexander O’Neal.

Auburn has also been compiling a series of cover songs in and around Wolverhampton, with the last one filmed Wightwick Manor to celebrate the ‘100 years after the first set of women gained the right to vote in the UK’ – a project that fell a little outside of our editorial postcode, but check out what the Express & Star had to say about it by clicking here.

Closer to (our) home, Carris Auburn recently played a headline set at The Kitchen Garden Café in Kings Heath – a gig we sadly missed due to too much diary juggling, but one we kicked ourselves repeatedly for not making. So to throw some well deserved column inches her way, and save us some thinly spread Saturday, we asked her to write a ‘diary entry about her experience playing’ at Project Soundlounge, giving us ‘an honest account of the night, on stage and off’.

And to her credit, she agreed:

08:59 / It’s the day of Project Soundlounge! A festival held at Birmingham’s Town Hall organised entirely by 16-25 year olds. This year it’s all in aid of national charity Crisis and their campaign to end homelessness and I’m starting the day in panic mode because I’ve woken up an hour late.

11:00 / We’re somehow arriving at the Town Hall way before our load in time of 11:40am and it’s a good thing because I’ve managed to drive straight past the entrance.

11:15 / Take two and we’re in, being greeted by Lydia, our go to person for the day.

12:00 / Soundcheck – the venue looks as impressive as ever with screens reminding everyone to donate. It’s a bit slow getting everything set up but we manage to get a song in. I tell the band about the cover of ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ I decided to learn last night as a tribute to Aretha Franklin. They agree to join in like the masters of improv they are.

12:25 / I spot Lady Sanity in the kitchenette area backstage waiting to soundcheck. There’s only time for a quick hello before I head back to Wolves for a couple hours.

17:15 / I’m back at the Town Hall and the comedy of errors continues as we realise the track for my final song ‘Oil on Water’ is missing. Someone pops up asking me for a bio but I never see her again. The debate of what to do continues down to the wire but a shift around in the order of the set solves the issue.

17:45 / Showtime! We’re up on stage to kick off the night after being introduced by a slightly nervous announcer. It’s not the easiest at first with a small audience in a vast hall but everyone warms up and and has fun on the stage, the performance whizzing by. The Aretha Franklin tribute goes smoothly and I don’t even notice the lack of backing for ‘Oil on Water.’

18:40 / By the time everyone is packed up and we’ve thanked Lydia, I’ve missed most of Population:7’s performance. I catch the end after chatting to a couple members of the audience. The seven piece are a mix of rappers and singers with an incredible drummer, soulful harmonies and masses of charisma.

19:00 / Next up are synth grunge outfit FABRIK who the announcer hilariously introduces as Population:7 by accident. Such a powerful vocal from the lead singer. One avid fan is dancing alone and the resident videographer is straight in with the 360º shots.

20:40 – After a fun set of covers from Crisis worker Jeremiah it’s four piece indie band Riscas. Frontman, George Maycock, comments on the surreal nature of playing the Town Hall – relatable. They’re instantaneously sweating and it’s an energetic performance of catchy songs that wouldn’t be out of place at Glastonbury.

21:30 / The penultimate act is Birmingham rapper Lady Sanity and she comes out swinging, the relentless delivery of her lyrics a stark contrast to the chilled old school hip hop beat as she raps about striving for better days. Dubbed “energy crew,” a small group of people at the front of the hall shout her lyrics back at her.

22:15 / Jerry Williams and her band are on and not to be dramatic but she is wearing the greatest trousers I have ever seen. The high octane set is a journey of beachy rock songs and post-punk. We’re given some beautiful stripped back pieces – one solo song is an ode to an alcoholic’s promise to go sober if she wrote a song about him. A slick cover of Jamie T’s ‘If You Got the Money’ has a lot more people up on their feet and it’s a great end to the night.

22:35 / At this point the audience is largely made up of the organisers. I had thought it was a shame to see the event so sparsely attended and I encourage people that may read this now to donate what they can to Crisis. However, sat watching on my own, I felt the emptiness of the surrounding grandeur create this defiant pocket of live music energy and it was something I was truly proud to be a part of.

23:05 / I grab my things and walk out to my car, being reminded that it’s Saturday night by a passing hen do. I hope Project Soundlounge goes from strength to strength over the coming years, for the charities it helps and the young people it motivates.

Jerry Williams – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Jerry Williams, visit www.facebook.com/Jerrywilliamsmusic

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Lady Sanity – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Lady Sanity, visit www.ladysanity.com

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Riscas – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Riscas, visit www.riscasofficial.com

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Jeremiah (from Crisis) – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Crisis, visit www.riscasofficial.com

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FABRIK – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on FABRIK, visit www.fabriktheband.co.uk

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Population:7 – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.18 / Callum Lees

For more on Population:7, visit www.population7.com

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Carris Auburn – Project Soundlounge @ Town Hall 18.08.17 / Callum Lees

For more on Carris Auburn, visit www.carissauburnmusic.com

To know more about Crisis, with links for online donations to the charity, visit www.crisis.org.uk

For more on Project Soundlounge, visit www.facebook.com/ProjectSoundLounge

For more on the Town Hall and Symphony Hall, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.thsh.co.uk

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NOT NORMAL – NOT OK is a campaign to encourage safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room.

To sign up to NOT NORMAL – NOT OK, click here. To know more about the NOT NORMAL – NOT OK sticker campaign, click here.

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018

ALBUM: The Great Untold – Scott Matthews 27.04.18

Words by James Attwood

On Friday 27th April, Wolverhampton’s Ivor Novello award winning songwriter, Scott Matthews, is set to release his sixth studio album, The Great Untold – out via Shedio Records. Scott Matthews will be also performing at St Paul’s Church in Birmingham on Sunday 20^th May, as part of The Great Untold UK Tour – as presented by Moseley Folk. For online ticket sales from Skiddle, click here.

Recorded over a winter spent at home, The Great Untold is very much a milestone for Matthews and sees him starting a new chapter in life as a married man and soon to be father.

Title track, ‘The Great Untold’, opens the album with a tender, intimate affair between Matthews’ soft vocal and guitar intricacies. Accompanied by nothing more than flourishes of piano, it certainly sets the tone; Matthews goes back to his roots as an acoustic act, with inspirations such as Tim Buckley and Nick Drake ringing through loud and clear.

‘As the Day Passes’ also puts Matthews’ stunning vocal delivery at its forefront; with a lullaby like piano outro, and soothing picked Spanish guitar part that harks influence from world music, it’s the kind of song you would expect to hear in a Wes Anderson film.

The hazy vocals of ‘Silence’ create the atmosphere of a summer’s evening. The chorus sees Matthews muse, “Silence, nothing’s complicated in my solitude, where I can hear myself…” in a statement that confirms his re-kindled solace as an acoustic artist, away from his full band environment.

‘Something Real’ is euphoric and joyous in its musical arrangement, with bold acoustic guitars providing a counterpoint for Matthews’ vocal powerhouse. His mastery of melody and harmony is at the forefront of this track and it would be no surprise to find this particular gem as a Jeff Buckley B-side, its ringing guitars and soaring vocal falsetto harking back to Buckley’s iconic Grace album. The same goes for The Great Untold’s lead single, ‘Cinnamon’; subtle soundscapes and drone like vocal delivery create an atmosphere that creates imagery of the time in which the album was conceived.

Tracks such as ‘Goodnight Day’ and ‘A Song to a Wallflower’ particularly stand out for me and help to diversify the album, which dare I say is needed at times. ‘Goodnight Day’ shows a darker side Matthews’ songwriting; a Gold era Ryan Adams-esque ballad, Matthews is accompanied by a choir of vocal harmonies in this big screen noughties film soundtrack worthy affair. Whilst the steady beat of ‘A Song to a Wallflower’ sounds as if it came straight from the Help soundtrack, with strummed acoustic guitars and Beatles bass sound it could easily have been penned by Lennon and Mcartney.

The album closers, ‘Daydreamer’ and ‘Chapters’, take us back to the place where it began, merely an acoustic guitar and Matthews’ tender vocal delivery.

Despite its thin instrumental textures, The Great Untold is still every bit as captivating as Matthews’ 2001 debut album, Passing Stranger – a yardstick the artist has arguably been judged by since its release. But the lack of percussion on The Great Untold is perfectly subsidised by Matthews’ vocal talent, providing plenty of melodies, highs and lows to keep the listener hooked.

You could further suggest that the largely acoustic sound of The Great Untold encourages the best from the songwriter’s voice and instrumental prowess, as heard on 6 minute epic ‘Lawless Stars’. A combination of moody reverberating guitars accompany Matthews’ blanket of choir like vocal harmonies, seeing the songwriter make the most of the most of his natural vocal gift. The track is a journey, building into a crescendo of guitars and voice before it fades into an instrumental section containing just a slide guitar part – a nod, once again, to Matthews’ Bert Jansch influence.

Although an album of beauty, for me The Great Untold stays a little too much within its seemingly set format of acoustic guitar and vocals, lacking the raunchy guitars and primal beats that can be found in Matthews’ wider portfolio.

But as a relatively new listener to Scott Matthews, this latest album did not disappoint – showcasing his songwriting talent and ability to write catchy melodies that do not conform to the typical songwriter style. And in a time of overdressed pop production, an album that often contains just a voice and a singular instrument is especially refreshing.

‘Cinnamon’ – Scott Matthews

The Great Untold by Scott Matthews is out on general release from Friday 27^th April, though Shedio Records. For more on Scott Matthews, with links to online purchases for visit gig tickets and Matthews’ full catalogue, visit www.scottmatthews.uk

For more from Shedio Records, visit www.shediorecords.com

Scott Matthews will be performing at St Paul’s Church in Birmingham on Sunday 20^th May – as presented by Moseley Folk. For online ticket sales from Skiddle, click here.

March 12, 2018March 12, 2018

SINGLE: ‘Oh Friend’ – Hunger Moon

Words by Ed King / Pics courtesy of Hunger Moon

On Monday 12^th March, Hunger Moon release their debut single ‘Oh Friend’ – wasting precious little time for a band that only formed at the tail end of last year, ‘deep in the heart of Birmingham’s warehouse and creative quarter’.

Out now and ‘available to stream on all major music platforms’, you can always make your own minds up with a quick visit to Soundcloud, Spotify or iTunes. Hunger Moon will also be supporting Joseph J. Jones at The Sunflower Lounge on Tuesday 13th March, if you wanted to check this out live and firsthand – for direct gig info, click here.

But who need independent thought or travel? Sit back, make yourself a cup of tea, look wistfully at rain, and let Birmingham Review do all the cognitive reasoning. Ssshhhh, there there… We’ll tell you.

But first a bit of background… Hunger Moon are the newly formed two piece from vocalist Natalie Jenkins and multi instrumentalist James Atwood, with a sound that draws immediate comparisons to London Grammar and Daughter. Their debut single, ‘Oh Friend’, had Ryan Pinson working behind the glass – with the skeleton written and rehearsed in Digbeth, and the skin produced at RML Studios in Wolverhampton. So, there’s a pretty solid start.

In the words of Hunger Moon, ‘Oh Friend is an ode to companionship, which has been the single constant within the lives of the duo over the past year throughout changes, some for better and others for worse’ and you get an immediate sense of longing, loss, or both.

Mournful yet comforting, ‘Oh Friend’ opens with an echoed guitar riff that is the linchpin to the Daughter comparison. Then after about 15 seconds, Jenkins’ vocals power though with the titular lyrics and ushering in the London Grammar comparison. This low cloud rolls across the horizon, with some ‘soft piano nuances and subtle electronics’ nudging their way in towards the end of Minute #1, before the instrumentation steps back leaving Jenkins’ vocals to introduce the first crescendo towards the end of Minute #2. A silent thunderclap… and downpour, with the emotional ebb and flow continuing in layers until the end of this nearly 5min single.

There is a beautiful proficiency to ‘Oh Friend’, with a confident subtly propelling an addictive melody. It’s not an easy sound to deliver well, and Hunger Moon have taken some bold steps down a road that is full of homage and potholes. But superbly handled by Ryan Pinson, the delicate strength that this genre requires is given its appropriate balance here. Plus, it could have been easily clipped to make it more radio (length) friendly but in fact saves the best minute for last.

As debuts go, ‘Oh Friend’ is solid introduction, managing to find a new corner of the electro/pop shadows to lurk in. The melody is rife too, which bodes well for an album of material to wrap around it – an LP we sincerely hope is on its way. But if we were to find one piece of constructive criticism, as is our job, it would be that the strength of Jenkins’ vocals can sometimes be a little, a small touch on the desk perhaps, too much in the lead. And to jump back to the two previous comparisons, one of these bands falls into this trap too, whist the other nails it perfectly on its perfect nail shaped head.

So, this is a little par for the course for the genre, kinda sorta. And having a strong asset in your box of musical tricks is one of those better problems to have. But for the first foray for Hunger Moon, ‘Oh Friend’ is cracking introduction from a band we have a sneaking suspicion have a lot more to offer over the next twelve months.

‘Oh Friend’ – Hunger Moon

Hunger Moon release their debut single, ‘Oh Friend’, on Monday 12^th March – available through all major music platforms.

Hunger Moon will also be performing at The Sunflower Lounge on Tuesday 13^th March, supporting Joseph J. Jones – for direct gig information, click here.

For more on Hunger Moon, including links to stream ‘Oh Friend’, visit www.facebook.com/hungermoonmusic

October 27, 2017

ALBUM: Mountain – Howie Payne 27.10.17

Words by James Attwood / Pics courtesy of Sonic PR

After an eight year break spent gathering musical influence from the mellow mundane of real life, Howie Payne is back with his self professed ‘best record so far’.

The result of this is Mountain, Payne‘s second solo LP since the dissipation of his previous band The Stands in 2005, which is set for release on the 27th October on Full Stack Records. Recording sessions took place at London’s prestigious Ark Studios during final week of July, whilst the rest of the UK witnessed a heatwave. This in mind, Payne and band still slaved away ruthlessly to produce a well crafted songwriter album, and if anything this added to the atmosphere of the album.

The influence of Americana and the great American songwriters of the 70’s is apparent throughout Mountain. However, this does not necessarily mean that the album sounds dated or appeals solely to the older generations.

Album opener ‘Quick as the Moon’ is reminiscent of the heartfelt, earthy folk-pop of modern artists such as Fleet Foxes and Father John Misty. With its several layers of vocal harmonies, tambourine and subtle upright piano melodies, ‘Quick as the Moon’ lends itself effortlessly to the Americana/Folk genres, as is the case for other tracks ‘All of these things’ and ‘Hold steady the Wire’. The vocal harmonies heard throughout Mountain assist Payne‘s songwriter style arrangements in escalating into grandiose chorus’, similar to those of innovators such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

‘Some Believer, Sweet Dreamer’ is driving by ballsy country guitars and could easily be a single by Neil Young back in his heyday. In a time of synthesisers and programming it’s nice to hear an album that utilises predominantly organic instruments and in particular, the human voice. “But you’re quick like a hurricane, bright like a rising sun…” shows Payne‘s mastery of imagery within his lyricism, alongside his clear knack for arrangement and composition.

Lead single ‘The Brightest Star’ is the most commercial moment of the album, with its blend of piano hooks, strummed acoustic parts and shuffle drumbeats that form a clear pop structure and four chord chorus.

But if it’s the lazy rootsy-Americana of Gold-era Ryan Adams that you seek, you will also find plenty to occupy yourself with on ‘Holding on’, a love song that floats along steady and shows Payne‘s band at their finest.

The story is much the same for both ‘High Times’ and ‘After Tonight’. Here Howie Payne is accompanied solely by his acoustic guitar, yet the songs are as engaging as those that surround it. ‘After Tonight’ also provides an effective moment of solitude on the album, whilst ‘Thoughts on Thoughts’ is a modern folk number using traditional guitar melodies to create hooks and layers of harmonised vocal to add an almost medieval sound to the music.

Then, finally, we have ‘Evangeline (Los Angeles)’ – a grand, perfect summary to Mountain, combining layers of vocals once more, yet reverberating electric guitar parts that provide the sonic backdrop for tender picked acoustic guitar.

All in all, Mountain is a joyous and pleasant listen. And although its genre is arguably dated, and some may say holds little relevance to today’s popular music climate, the album is still intriguing to the ear of someone who appreciates music at its core; Mountain carries a wholly organic and refreshing sound. Plus, as I have already mentioned, Howie Payne‘s use of his own voice to create layers of texture brings an entirely different edge to his music – this is also to be applauded and hooked me upon listening.

With an album as well crafted in every respect of the word such as Mountain, Payne fully deserves a place up there with the great songwriters of today.

‘The Brightest Star’ – Howie Payne

Mountain, by Howie Payne, is released on 27^th October via Full Stack Records. For more on Howie Payne, including online album sales and live gig dates, visit www.soundcloud.com/howiepayne

For more from Full Stack Records, visit www.facebook.com/fullstackrecords

September 8, 2017September 8, 2017

ALBUM: Wake Up Now – Nick Mulvey 08.09.17

Words by James Attwood

Following the success of his Mercury nominated 2015 debut, First Mind – the album that spawned his breakthrough track ‘Cucurucu’ and earned him support slots with the likes of London Grammar, Nick Mulvey is back with a second offering of world music tinged indie-folk masterpieces.

Entitled Wake Up Now, the album, which is set for release on the 8th September 2017 through Fiction Records, is a reflection upon the current world that we live in – a world that is changing by the day. Here Mulvey is inspired by real world issues such as the refugee crisis and his recent fatherhood, which sit at the core of the album and informed the choice to comment on the world which his newborn son will be part of.

With this fresh inspiration and desire to voice these issues within song, Mulvey set about enlisting the help of a small group of individuals that included his close friends and band mates, producer Ethan Johns, alongside Bowie’s Blackstar engineer Kevin Killen. Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios, Wake Up Now further featured writing sessions with Brian Eno before being sent for finishing touches at friend and long time collaborator Dan Carey’s studio in London.

Initial single ‘Unconditional’ opens up the album. Driven by strummed flamenco Guitars, offbeat rhythms and subtle flourishes of electronics, the track is typically Nick Mulvey and picks up exactly where First Mind left off with it’s simple and infectious chorus. I could imagine that the track would be every bit as captivating as an instrumental, with its tribal harmonies and horn hooks.

‘Transform Your Game (We Remain)’, takes on a similar instrumental texture to ‘Unconditional’, with Mulvey‘s trademark Spanish guitars, along with a bass groove and layered rhythmic parts. What’s interesting is the attention Mulvey pays toward rhythm within his music, layering up drums with bongos and other instruments in a nod to his world music influence. The chorus captures the community between Mulvey and his band perfectly, a carnival of backing voices, horns and multiple rhythmic elements.

‘Imogen’ sees Nick Mulvey take the listener away to a darker place, more reflective place than the two previous tracks and is indicative of the album’s inspiration, accentuated by weeping violins and a chorus of gospel backing vocals that sing the chorus, “It ain’t over now”.

Recent release ‘Myela’ is a blend of organic and electronic elements and sees Mulvey emphasize with and tell stories of the refugees that the track is inspired by. Frantic flurries of synthesizer resemble the panic of those he sings about, “please help me find a way to stay and give a future to the child I, carry inside”. He fully immerses himself within the culture of the refugees, using eastern melody and instrumentation to create the atmosphere of their motherland before closing the track with a celebratory chorus of “I am your neighbor, you are my neighbor”, showing his unity with those he sings about.

Following track ‘We Are Never Apart’, sees Mulvey continue to serenade the character of Myela, “Oh Myela my love, can you hear, can you still hear the sirens moan, calling you home again?”. ‘We Are Never Apart’ sees Mulvey explore the issue of fracking on the Dakota Oil pipeline, a decision made by our very own government.

‘Remembering’ however rekindles the atmosphere of the initial two tracks, with Nick Mulvey‘s trademark vibrant, tribal rhythms that create images of the lands that they are inspired by. The chorus is as simple as the title insinuates, as is the case for the majority of the album, leaving room for the musicianship of Mulvey to shine through.

It is apparent by the time we hear seventh track ‘Mountain to Move’ the tone of the album, as is the case for next track ‘When the Body is Gone’. By this point I was searching for something that I hadn’t already heard on the album. Both are still beautiful, downbeat songs filled with vocal melody and beauty, as well as well thought out instrumentation.

‘Lullaby’ is a short, nifty outtake of ‘Unconditional’, one that features the pre-chorus melody and an angelic scat like vocal – linking ‘When the Body is Gone’ with the album’s penultimate track, ‘In Your Hands’. The track is a comfortable listen, one that I would have preferred earlier in the album. With its Ben Howard style instrumentation, the track sees Mulvey and a female vocal sing in call and response fashion to one another. I would definitely deem this as one of the stronger album tracks, effective in bringing the journey of the album to a close.

Album closer ‘Infinite Trees’ is mood music and is centered around the raw connection between Nick Mulvey and his skillful guitar ability, as well as the connection he is able to make vocally with other individuals within his close knit band.

As a new listener to Nick Mulvey, I approached this album with fresh ears and very much enjoyed ‘Unconditional’ as well as the several initial tracks that followed it. However, once well into the album I began to find it predictable, having heard much of the instrumentation already.

Perhaps this was the choice of track listing, or the fact that there seemed to be two voices to the album – one extremely downbeat, the other it’s polar opposite, upbeat, vibrant and busy, containing very little tracks that fell in between such as ‘Unconditional’.

‘Unconditional’ – Nick Mulvey

Nick Mulvey releases Wake Up Now on 8^th September, out via Fiction Records. For more on Nick Mulvey, including online purchase points, visit www.nickmulvey.com

For more from Fiction Records, visit www.fictionrecords.co.uk