Call Upon The Author

Eddy Bailey catches up with the recent EP of curios from ‘Emo’ survivors Funeral for A Friend

Eddy Bailey hopes the title of Italian alt.rockers Sunday Recovery’s debut isn’t prophetic…

Eddy Bailey checks out the this taster EP from a highly touted Canadian duo…

Eddy Bailey answers the question on everyone’s lips… Just how much are Teeth like Crystal Castles?

Eddy Bailey checks out the flamenco tinged album from The Bronx’ alter-egos.

Maybe my ears have been damaged beyond repair by years of listening to metal, but this wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I’d heard words such as “tirade”, “raw”, and “furious” used to describe the music created by this Leeds based band. This EP is none of those things…

I have to admit, I really struggled with this album. After the first listen I was left without any real impression of the record, it just seemed to entirely pass me by unnoticed. After giving it some more time however, the album really starts to unveil itself. This may be due to the simplistic style of the music, with the vocals taking centre stage whilst the instrumentation plays on quietly in the background.

Rolo Tomassi is a name I’ve heard many times before, often mentioned in the same breath as Gallows and The Bronx, but I’ve never actually gotten around to giving them a listen. Whilst they do share some traits with the aforementioned bands they have a sound that marks them out as different from the usual hardcore fare. Instead of playing straight ahead hardcore/punk, Sheffield’s Rolo Tomassi throw in synth and more experimental elements into their song. Coupled with having a female vocalist in a genre dominated by males it makes for a more unique listening experience.

Hero are a perplexing band, you’re never quite sure how to take them. Hailing from Canada, they’ve taken the name of their debut album from a Gaelic festival. The album cover too doesn’t seem to fit with their music in the slightest, depicting a medieval scene complete with monkeys on horseback, you’d think there would be a sense of humour present but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Open up the booklet and along with the usual artwork and lyrics you’ll find a glossary of terms, the purpose of which isn’t quite evident. Are they trying to make their material look intellectual and deep?

Listening to the debut release from Lee Harvey Osmond the last place you’d expect them to hail from is Canada. The country tinged folk sound of this record belies their birthplace of Toronto, but just makes it more impressive that they’ve captured the sound of Midwest America so well. The brainchild of Tom Wilson from Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, the band contains a staggering 17 musicians, a collective featuring members of such groups as Cowboy Junkies and Skydiggers.