Artificially Yours – The Merger

Aug13

Ravenously invasive, teasingly seductive, and verging on the creatively psychotic, The Merger EP is the new three-track offering from British trio Artificially Yours. It is a release which has been eagerly anticipated, especially since the Essex outfit’s recent link up with 1-2-3-4 Records; one which rewards that intrigue with a ferociously compelling dissonance fuelled adventure.

Created by vocalist Chat soon after the demise of his previous project which hailed its departure supporting Killing Joke, Artificially Yours has grown from an initial solo project to the three pronged attack of its founder and the electronic prowess of Grumb and Ad. Their sound is a rabid eddy of noise and imagination; post and garage punk thickly lining its distortion fuelled space rock with the rabid tendencies of many more rich flavours involved. Aligned to a lyrical and vocal trespass invading and echoing the growing dystopian landscape and the controlling selfish hands shaping it, it all makes for a proposition which makes you pay attention and question the world, one’s own thoughts, and indeed the magnetic almost feral incitement the band offers.

The Merger opens with its title track, a senses suffocating smog of sound as corrosively apocalyptic as it is coarsely captivating. Sonic winds buffet ears and imagination as rhythms swing, Chat’s vocals with their invasive threat and echo equally as magnetic within the inventive maelstrom. Swiftly it is an infectious affair and as quickly a debilitating irruption but one with imaginative control to its visceral tempest and raw temptation. Though having its rabid claws in ears and appetite almost straight away, it grew its addictive persuasion by the listen; a transgression on the ‘coffee cup capitulation’ steering modern society , as declared by the band, which just gets under the skin and into the psyche.

The following Terror Town matches its predecessor’s stirring heights with its own fully individual character and prowess. Slowly stirring its body into action, the song slips into a magnetic stroll with a somnambulistic air where post punk seeds and electronic intimation collude. Akin to a fusion of the infectious prowess of Tones On Tails and the carnal dexterity of Big Black wrapped in the wiry strands of The Jesus And Mary Chain, the seductive track is swift and ever increasing intoxication; its own intemperance exposed in great woozy bursts of keys within the vocally dark, rhythmically moody exposé.

Final track, Tree, uncages its own uniquely carnal proposal, one as virulently catchy as it is unapologetically frictious. Its psych rock breeding is smothered in unruly noise and enterprise though neither can diffuse its infectious swing with a definite touch of T-Rex meets Joy Division to its nature and tenacity. Adding yet another distinct eclectic shade to the EP, it makes for a glorious end to one striking release.

Formed last year, Artificially Yours has already been stirring up keen attention and can now expect tides more through The Merger. If the world is going down, it could not wish for a better soundtrack with just a glimpse of a survival plan.

The Merger EP is released August 24^th via 1-2-3-4 Records.

Upcoming Live Dates:

WED 29th AUG – OLD BLUE LAST, Shoreditch

THURS 13th SEPT – THE VICTORIA, Dalston

https://www.facebook.com/artificiallyyours99/

Pete RingMaster 12/08/2018

Matty T Wall – Sidewinder

Aug13

It is easy to get the feeling that Matty T Wall is a well-respected and keenly supported artist in his Australian homeland, his new album carrying all the intimation and just as simple to expect its fine body of songs to push the man towards far broader international attention. Sidewinder is an imaginative and inventively accomplished proposition bred in the blues and its roots but Wall is an artist also unafraid to embrace an array of other flavours modern and past. This makes for a release which captivates and surprises with regularity; a record which is a real pleasure to join.

With bassist Stephen Walker and drummer Ric Whittle alongside, Wall creates a tapestry of genres and styles with his openly creative and individual playing. His guitar spins tales as potent as his voice, evidence immediate in album opener Slideride. The instrumental in seconds had ears gripped, the fuzz of guitar and tease of keys provided by Gordon Cant instant devilry inciting body and imagination as the track’s devilish stroll erupted into life. Flames of horns from Steve Searle just added to the manipulation, the song a swinging rousing slice of enterprise kicking the album off in magnificent style.

It is a start kept lively and potent by the album’s following title track. Blues and hard rock unite in a song which swiftly has the body bouncing, Wall’s vocals a rich ingredient in its growing engagement with ears. It has a traditional air to its flavouring but united with bold enterprise from modern imagination providing something unashamedly familiar but keenly fresh.

As suggested earlier, there is an eclectic character to the album no better epitomised than by the following Something Beautiful. A cover of the Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews track it is a glorious slice of pop shaped rock which just radiates temptation from the magnetic vocals to the uncomplicated but flirtatious tease of guitar and the understated but potent moody hues of the bass. It is a superb rival to its predecessors for best album song and in turn matched by another cover in Wall’s version of Sam Cooke’s Change Is Gonna Come; itself a firmly captivating take on a great song with the strings of Jonas Petersen an added pleasure.

Can’t Stop Thinking shares its seductive prowess next, the fiery vines of Wall’s guitar compelling heat to the darker stroll of the bass and the crisp raps of Whittle’s beats. Cant’s organ is a link between the shades, a suggestive glaze and temper to the song’s electric jazz fire. From its relative calm, the rock ‘n’ roll of the excellent Shake It had the body bouncing with ease straight after, its blues intoxication a boozy but defined incitement firmly rivalled by Going Down. The latter is a version of the Don Nix classic originally recorded by Moloch in the late sixties. It is a song given numerous outings by an array of acclaimed artists over the years and Wall’s ballsy rendition ranks high among them.

The jazzy flirtation of Aint That The Truth is a mellower but no less enticing turn in the album’s adventure; a song which lured participation in voice and hips as easily as it had ears hungry for more. Its summery swing was unadulterated temptation setting up the appetite perfectly for the rawer antics of Sophia’s Strut. Whether it was or not, the instrumental feels like an improv slice of fun taking the listener into the charged surroundings of an old school blues club, the track rocking out with Wall’s open craft and its inherent devilment.

The groove woven Walk Out The Door is an even more compelling moment in the release with its fusion of funk, jazz, and blues rock a spark to losing inhibitions as another pinnacle within Sidewinder emerged with style and relish. Bred from essences drawn from across the decades, the track swiftly proved addictive on its first listen before compliant ears were just as drawn by the intimate balladry of Leave It All Behind and its delicate melodies, evocative vocals, and the melancholy draped magnetism of strings.

The album concludes with a cover of the Chris Thomas King song Mississippi Kkkrossroads, Wall adding to its hip hop/electric blues credentials with his own rock ‘n’ roll instincts. It is a great end to an album which has increasingly impressed and aroused. Matty T Wall might be a new name to a great many outside of the Australian rock scene but not for much longer if Sidewinder gets the attention it undoubtedly warrants.

Sidewinder is out now via Hipsterdumpster Records across most online stores.

https://www.mattytwall.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mattytwall/ https://twitter.com/mattytwall/

Pete RingMaster 13/08/2018

Static Fires – Thirteen

Aug13

Static Fires have a name which seems so familiar that we were sure we had covered them before here but could find no evidence to back up that thought though it still lingers. Similarly their sound has a roar and character which feels like an existing friend but with no definition to exactly why and to be honest neither thing is particularly important anyway as the Welsh outfit has provided one richly enjoyable and enterprising offering in the shape of debut album Thirteen.

Hailing out of Swansea, Static Fires emerged in 2014; formed by old school friends in lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Randles, lead guitarist/vocalist Jack Clements, bassist Tom Gibbins, and drummer/vocalist Jack Piper. Inspired by the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, and Kings Of Leon, the foursome create an alternative rock sound which indeed has led to comparisons to those prime influences but as Thirteen shows, it has a certain voice of its very own too.

The album quickly grabbed ears and keen attention with opener Rollercoaster, its opening caress of guitar a calm and suggestive invitation from within which the animated bass of Gibbins strolls bringing equally tenacious riffs and melodies from the guitars. That lining of familiarity to the band’s sound is a quick presence as the song’s swing kicks in but only adds to the enjoyment and rousing prowess of the encounter. Keenly infectious and rhythmically manipulative, the track is a dynamic start to the album, one which is maybe never quite surpassed thereon in but certainly rivalled a fair few times.

New single Black Velvet is one harrying its stature, the track a funk rock infused stroll with muscular linings to its twists and turns. Clements’ vocals, as in the first, impress and entice within an enterprising weave of sound cast over ears. A blues breath adds to its inescapable lure, the song swift and constant magnetism before Hit the Gas revs up and cruises in with thick rhythms and rousing grooves. Within seconds it had us rising to our feet as it proved itself one of those major rivals for best track honours with its virulent adrenaline fuelled, sleekly bodied rock ‘n’ roll.

Return is next, evolving from a mellow almost melancholic suggestion to a raucous blaze though its fire in heart and sound still comes with enterprising restraint while Like the Sun bounces along with a summery air and catchy dynamics. As its predecessor, it is a track which does not quite exploit the hints of lusty adventure it gives but easily gets inspires an appetite for more of the same.

The album’s title track has a steelier edge and tone to its presence, a whiff of early U2 escaping the guitars early on. It too is a song which promises big things especially in its verse and ever sharp hooks but does lose that blade a little once its chorus and roar escapes. Nevertheless, the track is pure magnetism with its devilish imagination

The final pair of Blood Red and Fix Myself complete the highly enjoyable release with their individual romps. The first is a fiery slice of rock ‘n’ roll; a tenacious and ballsy encounter with an emotive flame to its roar which soon established itself as another favourite here. Its successor has its own hearty holler this time aligned to a more ballad bred but lively presence. As all tracks it is a seriously catchy proposition and like the album as a whole one which just grows and impresses more and more by the listen.

Only true uniqueness is lacking from Thirteen yet every minute on offer is fresh and adventurous, maybe more importantly thoroughly enjoyable. It pushes Static Fires towards the biggest national spotlights and you can only sense from their release that they will thrive on the new attention.

Thirteen is available now across most online stores.