Draw Me Stories - Becomes The Hunted/Oars

On latest double side single 'Become The Hunted/On The Galley', Draw Me Stories sound like the folk/indie monster their previous publications have hinted at. 'Become The Hunted' is drum driven, the frenzied, snare friendly drums of Samuel Souter pushing the song through all of its structures perfectly. Guitar and bass wise, the song perhaps suits its name perfectly, sounding dark and eerie but crashing down into a flurry as vocalist Carl Hodgetts sings "the hunter becomes the hunted" in a Bjórk like fashion somehow. Its more arty indie than folk but it is original and it works, hugely.

'Oars', much like 'Become The Hunted' is driven by the drums again but has more emphasis built around a folkier sounding guitar melody accompanied by intelligent bass playing. What really pulls Draw Me Stories away from the possible folk contemporaries that they may be compared to is their structure use, 'Oars' is particularly strange in its almost Youthmovies or Foals esque oxford guitar work mid song and also the wah wah pedal build up in the middle eight, it sounds like it shouldn't work and perhaps in many ways, it really shouldn't, but here, it really sounds fantastic.

On the strength of these two tracks alone, I am baffled that Draw Me Stories are unsigned. Sure, they perhaps wouldn't reach the dizzying heights of the nu-folk that is Mumford & Sons but I am pretty sure they'd give it a damn good try and wouldn't come far off. All we need from this three piece now, is a full length album as good as this to back me up!

Draw Me Stories Myspace

4 / 5

Bunny And The Bull - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This is possibly the strangest sensation I have had. A soundtrack for the movie Bunny And The Bull infront of me, composed and performed by Ralfe Band and I am expected to form an opinion of it. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of soundtracks and have bought and listened to many in my life so far but it genuinely seems strange to me because I have yet to see the movie.

Strangely enough, if I were to not know it were a soundtrack to an independent movie, I would guess it within the first 'song' anyway. Beautiful but haunting piano melodies are generally the focus here, violins beautifully move into the fold and often instruments like accordians are brought in aswell often to accent the piano sections more so. It feels emotional at times, particularly towards the end of the release with songs like 'Stephen' but on the whole, it has a gypsy folk feel to it, that makes you want to smile, particularly within the early tracks. On the whole, the soundtrack is vocal-less as you would expect but when the vocals do make an appearance on 'Attila The Dog Man', 'Stephens Finale' and 'Fairground Waltz', they sound somewhere inbetween the great Beirut and perhaps Devotchka.

Overall, a strange listen without knowing the film but an interesting and entertaining one at least. On the strength of this soundtrack, I shall be trying to get my hands on the film, so in many ways, this soundtrack has done its job perfectly.

Bunny And The Bull Official Website

4 / 5

Trail - To The Rest Of The World

Trail and their album 'To The Rest Of The World' isn't something I hugely want to write about excessively. Somewhere inbetween the rocky mainstream moments of bands like Lifehouse and perhaps just the ability to pen a catchy song like let us say Take That, they are both listenable and if you are me, unlistenable, in equal measure.

Musically, they are very standard. This is ground that has been successfully covered by the likes of Nickleback already in that it is rock but it has that polished over feel that shouldn't offend you but yet somehow does. Vocally, Trail are extremely strong, Charlie Afif somehow venturing into perhaps a Savage Garden niche, which to my surprise works a lot better than expected and certainly brings out the emotion double fold in comparison to your gravelly Scott Stapp-esque rock singers. Every song on the album has that potential single feel about it and you can imagine each one being played at a mainstream time on Radio One and even some making it on those cheesy american teen sitcoms that seem to be ambusing E4 currently. 'Worry Free' is perhaps the stand-out track for me, mostly lyrically. If you ignore the sickly sweet "If you journey with me, I'm worry free" then you will get to what I deem to be the near perfect line of "What is life if not a collection of treasured moments", Gary Barlow would be proud indeed.

It isn't original and it isn't particularly fantastic but if your mum enjoys the likes of Take That mixed with Nickleback and other watered down rock acts then I am pretty sure that she would enjoy this.

Trail Myspace

3 / 5

Slaraffenland - We're On Your Side

Slaraffenland are, yes you've guess it, a quirky pop band from the colder climates of Europe. Denmark if you haven't guessed. They also are friends with Efterklang, which wouldn't be difficult to guess either given the locality of them both and both their musical directions. 'We're On Your Side', is their third full length album following 'Private Cinema' and their self released debut 'Slaraffenland'.

As well as being collaborators with Efterklang, it is quite obvious that they share the same pop sensibilities as well. Drums are fairly driven, working around tribal melodies but feel spaced and clear so that they can bring out instruments like trumpets, shown deliciously on lead single 'Meet And Greet'. Guitars are bright and bouncy, showing very little aggressive punch but entwine and develop with both the drums and the occasional impressive audible bass lines. Vocally, Slaraffenland very rarely move from that Scandinavian pop feel, which in very Efterklang fashion, is slow, haunting and perhaps even with roots in folk influences, but with brilliantly visual lyrics.

Anyone reading this, will perhaps say, stop mentioning Efterklang, even the band might say it but they are so painfully alike at times, it is hard not to. On songs like 'Stars and Smiles' they branch out slightly, with a dirtier use of tone, that overall adds a foot tapping element to it making them more accessible. 'Postcard' is also a stand out track, sounding slightly in parts akin to the new Yeasayer album with funky bass at the forefront, it is upbeat and infectious, pushing the album up an extra gear before its finish which is a delicate and beautiful song called 'Away' filled to the brim with hand claps and absolutely breath taking keyboard melodies, really one to admire.

I like Slaraffenland, much like I like Efterklang and many others like them. There is just something about these Scandinavian 'experimental' pop acts that draw me in but I can't help but say "if only". If only, there was more experimentation in terms of tempo and perhaps even in terms of melodic hooks because at times, these songs just need a massive chorus, or to just go anywhere at all.

But if like me, you like Efterklang, you won't find these half bad at all.

Slaraffenland Myspace

3.5 / 5

Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth


Bear In Heaven started their musical release career in 2003 with their debut offering, an EP entitled Tunes Next Door To Songs. Four years passed before they released their debut full length album Red Bloom of the Boom and in these four years, they changed steadily from a six piece band, to a five piece and then finally to a four piece. Beast Rest Forth Mouth, their latest, sees Bear In Heaven as a cohesive unit, touching on many genres but never alienating both their old fans and new ones to come.

From the moment ‘Beast In Peace’ touches your ears, it is easy to figure out where Bear In Heaven are going. Heavily inspired by an older style of music, their roots happily placed in both the seventies and the eighties, every song is driven with frantic but drawn in drumming that keeps your foot tapping long after the drum rolls have ceased. Tracks like ‘Wholehearted Mess’ and ‘You Do You’ are well rooted in an electronic psychedelic area with racing samples at the forefront of the track, not in a modern day pop way but more in an eighties sense, where everything has a dark undertone and sounds utterly honest. Also impressive is Jon Philpots use of vocals, in ‘Beast In Peace’ he is more than happy to haunt the listener with drawn out melodies while in ‘Dust Cloud’, the vocals bounce along much in time and melody with the quirky bass line, a very different approach for a modern day band. Ultimately, the best part of Beast Rest Forth Mouth is that you have no idea where it is going to venture next, Bear In Heaven have obviously settled on a sound but it is so structurally and aesthetically interesting that each song offers its own different take on an approach to music.

When I started writing this review, I wasn’t entirely sure as to whether I actually like Bear In Heaven and in all honesty, I am still not a hundred percent sure. What I am sure of however, is that in a sea of shit, over-rated and uninteresting bands, here are a collection of musicians prepared to take risks and do something different and for that alone, I find this release endearing.

Bear In Heaven Myspace Page

4 / 5

Lali Puna - Our Inventions

Lali Puna, a band formed in 1998 have, despite me never even hearing of them, helped map out the musical landscape for experimentally minded pop music, or that is what the press release will happily have you believe. Our Inventions is their fourth long player release, a long time in coming, like most bands these days, a massive six years after their third album, Faking The Books.

Our Inventions starts off with ‘Rest Your Head’, a soothing synth lullaby that dwindles along at a slower pace than the rest of the album, luring you into a false sense of security with the slumbering and beautiful vocals of Valerie Trebeljahr forcing you into a deep sleep, not in a bored way but in a contented way. It isn’t the most amazing song that you will hear but it is perhaps the best on this record, although a strange choice for an album starter in regards the pacing. ‘Remember’ is perhaps what I would deem to be a mainstream single, interesting sample work and computerized drumming, pinned together by a tight and driving bassline and finished off with a sing-a-long chorus that every pop band would be proud to have penned. ‘Everything Is Always’ is also a bit of a pop monster, touching upon the sound that make groups like Goldfrapp so listenable and successful when they broke into the mainstream.

My problem with Lali Puna isn’t that they are a terrible band or that Our Inventions is a terrible album because it isn’t, it is neither great, nor is it terrible, it affects me in literally no way at all and that is its biggest downfall in the end, it just doesn’t make an impression as you are listening to it, never mind a lasting one.

Lali Puna Myspace Page

2.5 / 5

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