Taking a long break

As September is nearing its end I'm closing in on my sabbatical month, October. I will remain offline for most of that month, so this blogspace will remain frozen for the next five weeks. I wish you all a colorful and musically enriched autumn.

In the meantime, expect great things from the new Depeche Mode album!

Depeche Mode, a pain that I'm used to

Another track from the new Depeche Mode album, Playing the angel, has been leaked onto the Internet. The opening track: A pain that I'm used to.

Like the upcoming single, Precious, the new track is a song that old fans should be able to enjoy, with it's Music for the Masses-feel. This is a hard, metallic and dark Depeche Mode, that compares favourably to their best efforts from the 1980s. Check out http://clientes.gimexico.com/edgar/ for an MP3-version of this song.

If I hadn't already heard Precious, I would have said that A pain that I'm used to should be picked as a single from the album - it certainly has the potential. And if these two songs are anything to go by, the album is bound to be their best in two decades!

Here's my take on the lyrics for A pain that I'm used to:

I'm not sure what I'm looking for anymore,
I just know that I'm harder to console.
I don't see who I'm trying to be instead of me,
but the key is a question of control.

Can you say what you're trying to play anyway,
I just pay while you're breaking all the rules.
All the signs that are defined have been underlined,
devils stride on the drive that is you.

<chorus>
All this running around but it's getting me down,
just give me a pain that I'm used to.

I don't need to believe
all the change you conceive,
you just need to achieve
something that brings fruit.
</chorus>

There's a hole in your soul like an animal,
with no conscience, repentance unknown.
Close your eyes, pay the price for your paradise,
devils feet on the seeds of a stone.

I can't conceal what I feel, what I know is real,
no mistake in the fate, I care.
We're a a pair, in the air, I will leave it there,
but I'm now full of hope, not despair.

<chorus> x 2

Playing the angel should be in a record store near you on October 17. Be there!

An animalistic week

Returning from two weeks of vacation, I haven't had much time to focus on music this week. But I did pick up a couple of new CDs a couple of days ago, and here is my initial reaction to each of them.

> Animal Alpha
The first CD is by one of the most touted bands in Norway this year, the Oslo based Animal Alpha.

The band is led by the charismatic singer Agneta Maria Forfang Kjølsrud, who reminds me of a mixture of Courtney Love and Katie Jane Garside (for those of you that remember Daisy Chainsaw). After doing well in NRK P3's "Rørt og urørt 2005" contest the band signed a record deal with the Norwegian record label Racing Junior which resulted in an EP in June. This summer the band played on the bigger stages at a number of national festivals, such as the Øya, Quart and Slottsfjellet.

On September 5 Animal Alpha's highly anticipated debut album, Pheromones, was released on Racing Junior. It was produced by Sylvia Massy Shivy, who has produced artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Skunk Anansie and Seigmen earlier. Musically it follows up where the EP left, with hard but melodic rock.

Using her flexible voice to full effect Kjølsrud gives us a great treatment on this record, what a voice!! And tracks such as Catch me and Most wanted cowboy really do bring back the memories of Daisy Chainsaw at their best; excellent hard rock, with blazing guitars and an emotional femal voice! Not all the songs are equally exciting, but their first hit (if that word can be used in this context) - Bundy - is still a strong track, so is I.R.W.Y.T.D and my personal MP3-favorite from a couple of months ago - Billy Bob Jackson - which is my personal favorite on this album so far.

All in all a good debut, but I expect even more in the future!

> Gorillaz
I've been rather slow to pick up on Gorillaz, the experimental outfit led by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn. But when I eventually bought their debut album a year ago I did find it very pleasing, so when I found their new album - Demon days - on sale I decided to invest in that one too.

After a few repeats I've got a strong feeling that Demon Days is even better than their debut album, it's more varied - less "dancy" - with music ranging from choirs to simple rock-like tunes. And the melodies are pretty decent too.

I still have to give this album time to settle and grow, but I have a feeling that it will be constantly on in my discman for the next couple of weeks.

I'll return with a more detailed review later...

On Melancholy Byway

Back in September 2002 Arab Strap-member Malcolm Middleton made his solo debut with the funky titled "5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine" album. Musically it wasn't such a big departure from the sound of Arab Strap, unlike his partner Aidan Moffat who cranked out the electronic dance record "Hypnogogia", under the alias Lucky Pierre, the same year. But it was still distinctly different, in its melancholy.


















Almost three years later, in June 2005, Malcolm launched his second solo effort on Chemikal Underground. This time with a simpler title: "Into The Woods". But musically as naked and melancholic as the first album.

I've had this CD for a few weeks now. It's been a slow grower but has now reached classic proportions. It's an album full of good lyrics and melodies, largely based on acoustic instruments but from time to time with more orchestration. And with Malcom's very distinct Scottish accent, this album is the perfect retreat for people tired of plastic pop, overproduced stadium rock and synthetic dance.

The album opens with the song "Break my heart" where Malcolm says it bluntly

I'd rather have you,
than sing these shit songs anymore.

And from there it goes straight down Melancholy Byway, with the quiet piano-based "Devastation". But he's good at changing speed and rhythm; on "Loneliness Shines" he returns full of energy, whith whining organs, and on "No Modest Bear" he includes a keyboard and some fuzzy synth to make the album's most upbeat song. But overall the acoustic melancholy dominates, such as the Arab Strap-like song "Monday Night Nothing". And on "A happy medium", perhaps the best song on the album, he soberly sings

Woke up again today,
realize I hate myself.
My face is a disease.

On "Solemn Thirsty", where he performs a lovely duet with an unnamed female singer, the sound is more reminiscent of The Cure's "Disintegration"! The album ends with the upbeat "A New Heart", almost like The Pogues on speed, giving it am overall good feeling.

All in all, I find "Into The Woods" to be a great album that I will cherish for a long time to come.

More information about the album and the artist is available at www.malcolmmiddleton.co.uk.