Claire Maguire: Last Dance
Odds are, you will already have been exposed to Clare Maguire’s ‘The Last Dance’. The singer-songwriter from Birmingham, who left school at 17 to pursue her musical aspirations, has been occupying the dreaded advert spot on Spotify for a while now. Just 22, she has been subject to more than her fair share of hype recently after gaining the fifth spot on the BBC’s Sound of 2011.
I have done my utmost to listen to leading single ”The Last Dance’ without prejudice; however, unfortunately, it still fails to impress. Though Maguire undoubtedly has a powerful voice, overall the impression the track leaves is unoriginal and tired, as are the lyrics. Her impressive set of lungs are not used to their best effect, the unsuitable electronic production forcing the vocals to alternate the unremarkable with harsh unvarying high notes in which the effort sounds evident. A similar effect is present in ‘You’re Electric’.
However, another burgeoning sound present in the album seems much more appropriate. Tracks such as ‘Ain’t Nobody’ are much better, delivering a modern update on an older sound. Here her raw emotional voice is given the leading role, and similarities to Hurts, whom she has previously supported, are evident in the way in which the darker electronic backing used to good effect without drowning her undeniable talent in anonymous beats. ‘Freedom’ is another winner, with a softer piano-based feel again allowing her voice to shine, as is the strings-based ‘This Is Not The End’, in which Maguire’s vocal tone seems somewhat reminiscent of Enya.
Overall as a debut, this album is promising but mixed– perhaps the effort of a young artist who is yet to find her niche.
AMY BEECHER
Noah and the Whale: Last Night on Earth
Noah and the Whale are one of those rare bands who seem to be able to evolve constantly. Dodging the difficult second album curse, their 2009 offering was a heart-wrenchingly melancholy, orchestral ode to the breakdown of lead singer Charlie Fink’s relationship with fellow new folk artist Laura Marling. Their new release, Last Night on Earth, which combines this with a new electronic, synth-based sound, is further proof of their ability to take a new direction whilst retaining all their best features.
Fink has described the new album as being “about the unlimited possibilities of the night-time, and the excitement and freedom within that” and this certainly shows: it’s absolutely saturated with an overwhelming sense of optimism. ‘Give It All Back’, with its lyrics about dreams of playing rock’n’roll, shows the band’s youthful idealism still firmly intact three albums later, whilst the opening track ‘Life is Life’ combines this with its new darker, more mature sound.
The first single released from the album, ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’, makes use of Fink’s conversational lyricism, recalling Jamie T’s ‘Sheila’ in its urban story-telling style. Tracks such as ‘Just Before We Met’ most resemble previous albums, capturing the band’s warm sound with big multi-textured choruses and intimate lyrics. ‘Old Joy’, the beautiful finale, is slow, melancholy and largely based on its huge choral backing- echoes of much older influences mixed with bittersweet synths.
At the risk of sounding sycophantic, this is a truly striking album, that immediately made me smile and impressed me on further listens. With their so far inexhaustible capacity for reinvention, the only question is where Noah and the Whale will go next.
AMY BEECHER
Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Before you’ve even slipped a Mogwai album into your CD tray for the first listen, you know that you can depend on two things to feature- witty titles, and fuzzy guitars that are overdriven to a point where they sound both raw and lush all at once. Both of these two constants from the band’s catalogue are carried over for Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will- witness the shredded majesty of ‘You’re Lionel Ritchie’ and the titular hilarity of ‘George Square Thatcher Death Party’.
Features that were less anticipatable, however, are the piano and synth that form the pure heart of the album around which the dirty, shoegazey distortion coils like a cobra. On tracks such as ‘Letters To The Metro’ and ‘How To Be A Werewolf’,soothing chords set to undulating jazz drums break up an album otherwise characterized by hissing guitars and rumbling bass. On other songs, including ‘Mexian Gran Prix’, a nice balance is struck which matches shimmering organ with a growling low-end sound, an approach which fuses beauty with blood-stirring excitement.
All of these additions represent a huge leap forward for the band and provides a great deal of depth to the album. This is not to say, however, that Mogwai have lost sight of their influences at all- ‘San Pedro’ is a thrilling three-and-a-half minute Sonic Youth-style instrumental workout with sprawling guitar soundscapes fitting loosely around a pounding beat. The tendency of the album to take the simplest of chords and work them over for long periods of time from softer, measured passages into hysterical frenzies also strongly recalls a Disintegration-era the Cure.
Despite the echoes of other music the band remain totally original across the album and sound like little else you’ll hear at the moment. For an almost entirely lyric-free work, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is surprisingly easy to pick up and listen to over and over again, perfect as a complete piece and as a collection of solid, tight tracks, and thus can be held up as essential listening for this month.
ED FRANCIS