Call Upon The Author

Welsh lads They Walk Among Us (and you have to love that band name don’t you? Creepy and cool…) bring us their new album Monkey In A Chicken Pen – nicely packaged in a shiny vinyl bag with ominous red lettering. The presentation is slick, but you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover…

According to their press release, The Enid have been on a long hiatus. They haven’t been around since their split in 1988, but have returned to inflict their prog-rock on an unsuspecting world once more. And how is it? Well…

Canadian alt-Country types The John Henrys return with their third album White Linen. Not being massively up on the Canadian music scene myself (apart from all abiding love of The Arcade Fire), I was not familliar with these guys – but did instantly approve of their splitting their track listings on the back of the album into ‘Side One’ and ‘Side Two’. So what does this particular offering sound like? It’s a winner!

David Celia is a Canadian fella who writes, produces and releases his own albums – I Tried being the third so far. He’s teamed up with some experienced musicians (including Mike Olsen from The Arcade Fire, my personal loves) to bring us this offering – so what’s it like?

Songwriter David Rotheray brings us his bird themed LP ‘The Life of Birds’ – a series of collaborations with some well known names from the world of folk, including Eliza Carthy and Kathryn Williams. A conceptual piece, this album features really nice artwork, photos of the collaborators, lyrics, and the genius idea of a little description of how each song came to be. So, it looks lovely – what does it sound like?

Canadian nonsense-mongers Hot Hot Heat are back, with their third album Future Breeds. I wouldn’t usually mention album artwork, but the effort that’s gone into this one merits it- elaborate and complicated, and every lyric handwritten in fancy fashion… I’ve had this for a couple of weeks and still can’t take my eyes off it. Well, that’s what it looks like, how does it sound? Mind bending, quirky, odd… but then, it IS Hot Hot Heat. Oh, and dead good as well…

Larkin Poe are a re-invention of American country popsters The Lovell Sisters – minus the oldest sister. After the departure of Jessica (who, brilliantly, has done things the other way around to most people, by dropping out of a successful band to go to college…), 19 and 20 year old Rebecca and Megan Lovell have renamed themselves with their great-great-great Grandad’s moniker, teamed up with some musicians from Knoxville, and delivered Spring for our delectation. And it’s lovely! The girls have the lyrics, the musical talent, the back-up band, and above all the voices. This EP is a little cracker.

‘My Voice & 45 Strings’ is the debut single from Brit harpist, singer and sometime laundrette manager Lucinda Belle & her Orchestra made up of, amongst other things, harmonium, double bass, clarinet and guitar. Lucinda is young, pretty, and obviously a bit quirky – but what’s the music like? In a word – great.

‘Lady Gasoline’ is the second full length album from Irish born singer/songwriter Chris Singleton. This album follows his previous offering ‘Twisted City’, and was mastered at Abbey Road – a boast which gives this musical nugget a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really manage to do so.

Richard Hawley has quite the musical pedigree. A former member of Treebound Story, The Longpigs and Pulp, one might be forgiven for expecting some sort of indie-pop jollity from this Sheffield born-gent: not the case with this, his current E.P False Lights From The Land. In fact, the mood of this E.P. is serious, soft and thoughtful: it visits sea shanties, folk, and African melodies. So…what’s it like?