THE CHARMED AND THE SHAMELESS

By RingMaster Review on April 28, 2024 • ( 0 )

There we were dozing away when we were interrupted by familiar footsteps, a leaden tread on concrete from someone seemingly carrying a huge weight on their shoulders. And indeed that was exactly what we found once the door opened. Before us stood our Canadian buddy and musical explorer extraordinaire Shauna, she of sound weavers Ummagma and head gun of Shameless Promotion PR, and on her shoulders was another mighty bounty of new tracks for us to dive into and in no time the first headstrong treats rose up, a truly eclectic quartet of songs and flavours but all united in making for particularly rousing incitements

Coming from Edinburgh, BOULDER FIELDS is a creative venture that revolves around Scottish singer-songwriter Cam Fraser, an artist who was previously part of BORROWED BOOKS and 80s punk outfit, THE CATERAN. June 14^th will see the release, via Let There Be Numbers, of With All the Other Ghosts, the troubadour’s debut album and to truly whet the appetite of anticipation, lead single Measures has been just been unveiled.

The band casts a sound that can be described as Scottish Americana, a fusion of folk, rhythm and blues and indie rock that certainly within Measures makes for a boundary evaporating venture. BOULDERS FIELD’s first album is an acoustically woven adventure of sound and melodic enterprise with stripped-down arrangements, earnest vocals and a fire in an intimacy seeded in a sense of tension with the surrounding world. It is also a release seeing Fraser embrace the craft of creative allies including long-time collaborator Aly Barr (bass, vocals) and Suzy Cargill (drums, vocals) with Measures a beguiling first glimpse as it looks at the intense battle within when things get to much to bear.

The single gently strokes ears from the off, Fraser’s acoustic guitar an immediate pull as too his descriptive tones over an understated yet potent rhythmic shuffle. There is also an instant catchiness to the song, a virulence that only grows by the moment as the track springs its inspiriting stroll. In a way that infectious trait is at odds with the shadows of its lyrical premise yet equally it adds an inspiriting support for a light bound destination out of dark times.

Measures proved an immediately and increasingly thrilling first taste of the upcoming With All the Other Ghosts, the song another exciting adventure from the ever giving Scottish music scene.

As we write we are mere days into embracing the release of No Longer Earthbound, the new single from UK electro-goth outfit HISTORY OF GUNS. It is also another track adding to the suggestion that June is going to be a busy and exciting month for new explorations, the moment when the band unveils its eight full-length, Half Light via the Liquid Len Recording Company.

Formed in 1996, Hertfordshire hailing HISTORY OF GUNS is centred by founding members Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming), a band that with an ever-changing line-up that has seen it a duo through to a full 5-piece proposal over the years. No Longer Earthbound and their upcoming album see the pair joined by guitarist Caden Clarkson with Pete Maher (U2, Pixies, Nick Cave, J&MC, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails) mastering both and Rael producing.

Half Light is the result of an electronic project they’d begun back in 2008 before the band went on hiatus in 2012, Returning a decade later, HISTORY OF GUNS first released the album, Forever Dying In Your Eyes, before returning and concentrating on that previously begun adventure. The band’s sound suggests the influence of bands such as Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, PWEI, and Alien Sex Fiend but over the years and as No Longer Earthbound itself proves, that embrace only adds colour to the uniqueness of HISTORY OF GUNS and their creative imagination.

Exploring realms beyond a planet destined for destruction, intimations of the likes of “space travel, virtual reality or death” ventured, No Longer Earthbound envelops ears with a sense of menace and adventure, its breath a vehicle of possibilities within a landscape of shadows. In every aspect, the song is a fusion of contrasts; its cosmic suggestiveness aligning with earthly dilemma just as emotive and vocal suggestion merge light with darkness within the electronic and sonic tapestry of the song,

It is a compelling and inspiriting flight of sound and intimation and again a song that certainly sparked a need to explore its bigger source.

Already here to tempt and please is the new album from GRAMERCY ARMS. It too has been sharing its persuasion for only a matter of days as fingers tap and to highlight the attention luring prowess of the record is the single Never Say Anything. It is an acoustic track already recently unveiled but gets further highlighted again with a live Magic Door session video.

For newcomers to the band, GRAMERCY ARMS is a revolving collective of musicians and artists around and masterminded by Dave Derby (The Dambuilders, Lloyd Cole) and producer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Luna, Elk City). With members split between New York and New Jersey, it is a project tagged as indie pop but as previous releases has proved their sound makes for a multi-flavoured and adventurous proposal embracing artistic ‘70s and ‘80s New York inspirations.

Released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, The Making Of The Making Of is the band’s fourth album and among its collection of songs features many tracks recorded during the same sessions for those that made up band’s acclaimed 2023 full-length, Deleted Scenes. It is described by Derby as a companion piece to its predecessor, the pair of albums like the two sides to a larger piece of work.

Featuring Lysa Opfer of AEON STATION on bass and the guitar of Mark Lizotte from DIESEL, Never Say Anything is a gentle yet lively price of acoustic enchantment woven in indie, Americana and pop rock threads with Derby’s tones a magnetic coaxing of ears and thought. Emotively and intimately deep, the song soon stood tall in creative seduction while conjuring a spark in intrigue to further explore deeper into the heart and imagination of its creators new larger offering, especially with the single now residing in a new captivating video to share its beauty.

Heading back into June we can further confirm its potential for sharing some striking releases with the debut album from NYC-based post-punk outfit CLONE adding further weight to the suggestion. Released June 21^st via Little Cloud Records / 5BC, CL. 1 is certainly a keenly anticipated offering here and all thanks to its lead single, Dividing Line.

CLONE is a band led by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist LG Galleon, the frontman of DEAD LEAF ECHO, and features drummer Gregg Giufree (PILOT TO GUNNER), bassist Max Idas and guitarist/keyboardist Dominick Turi with Paul Liziragga (NAMESAKE) and Alex Cox (THE VELDT) joining Galleon in their live exploits. The band creates a sound that embraces the nostalgic seeds of post punk and gothic rock but only to create its own tenebrific breath and clamour enhanced crepuscular beauty, an imposing individuality that defies the ease of offering exact comparisons though if we were to summon a slight hint to the band’s music, SEX GANG CHILDREN would be on the lips.

As the album, co-produced by LG Galleon and recorded and mixed by NYC legendary producer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop), Dividing Line is a track inspired by Donald Trump and his attempt to start a class war within the USA and a song that soon shows that CLONE weave a sound that dextrously draws further flavours such as shoegaze and punk hues into its animated and raucous yet gracile post punk nurtured sound.

From its first breath Dividing Line was trespass and seduction with thoughts soon involved in its lyrical and vocal incitement, the song as intoxicating as it was menace fuelled danger, throughout showing itself as one compelling companion and instigator of impatience in our wait for June and the expectation of rich adventure that it brings.