STACK #208 Feb 2022

REVIEWS MUSIC

FEATURE ARTIST

Bodyjar New Rituals Bodyjar are one of the great

Animal Collective Time Skiffs Time Skiffs , Animal Collective’s first album in five years, is steered by the band’s dynamic experimentation, songs changing course and surprising with every turn. Opening with the surreal Dragonslayer , the Baltimore four-piece combine the sounds of autoharp, synths and lap steel guitar to bring a vivid scene to life, while the Yellow Magic Orchestra- inspired Car Keys reminds listeners of the power of Panda Bear and Avery Tare’s harmonised vocals. Elsewhere on the record the band pay tribute to British-American experimental music pioneer Scott Walker (who passed away in 2019) on Walker , before enchanting with the hypnotic Passer-by . Time Skiffs is proof that even 20 years and 11 albums in, Animal Collective still possess an abundance of vitality. (Domino) Holly Pereira

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators 4 When in full flight, Slash’s guitar wizardry peels back emotional layers that lyrics alone cannot access, and – thanks to his scuttling-tarantula-level phalange dexterity – seemingly impossible musical possibilities open up for him. As always, the icon's ‘guitartistry’ here is beyond compare, and his spontaneous-

underrated Aussie bands. Nearly 30 years after their first album, they sound as fresh as they did in the ’90s. Despite the title, the group's eighth album – their first in nine years – shows no signs of reinvention; the formula remains thundering drums, frenetic guitars and fist-in-the-air vocals. “And don’t tell me I need to settle down,” Cam Baines declares defiantly in Surrender . There’s also a sharp political edge to the record, with Baines singing: “Our children's world will not be sold for the profit of white-collar lying tongues.” There’s a cool cover of Dragon’s Rain (which is perhaps unnecessary when the originals are this strong), and then there’s the final track, When the Stars Go Out , which could be seen as a swansong. If it is, Bodyjar are

sounding solos ripple like waterfalls of liquid gold (see opener The River is Rising ); during standout track Spirit Love , he runs an electric sitar through “a Marshall at full blast” to spectacular effect. But 4 is so much more than just The Slash Show: The Conspirators always hold their own and Kennedy’s yowling vocals contain exactly the right amount of grit at all times. Fill My World – with its taunting, carnivalesque, circular riff that evokes Sweet Child O’ Mine – was written from the perspective of Kennedy’s beloved Shih Tzu, Mozart. Unable to return home due to flight delays, Kennedy checked his pet cam before watching on helplessly as his pooch freaked out during an intense storm. A simultaneous stankface- and headbang-inducing moment, closer Fall Back To Earth ’s theatrical, descending riffs cleverly echo the downward trajectory chronicled in lyrics. 4 captures this group of (ridiculously talented) mates finally reuniting and rocking out IRL, after Covid-the-fun-sponge kept them apart – and their joyous abandon is palpable. Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators are blatant show-offs, sure. But, then again, they’ve earned the right to be. (Sony) Bryget Chrisfield

going out on an almighty high. (Pile of Sand) Jeff Jenkins

FEATURE ARTIST

Black Country, New Road Ants From Up There Second albums are notoriously hard and can truly make or break a band – but you wouldn’t know it from this sublime, bold and euphoric sophomore effort from Black Country, New Road. Ants From Up There is a brilliantly balanced evolution, decorated by the best parts of their debut, yet crisper and more confident in its delivery. Marked by eclectic and witty lyrics, the record builds and swells with each song, until it explodes with the final few tracks in a cacophony of drama and bells. A record you’d expect from a band that’s been around much longer, Ants From Up There distinguishes Black Country, New Road as truly the band to watch. (NinjaTune) Jacqui Picone

Alt-J The Dream A decade on from their Mercury Prize-winning debut An Awesome Wave , indie Leeds outfit alt-J are back with possibly their best record since. The Dream melts together singer Joe Newman’s signature twang with a new musical footing; whilst still demonstrably alt-J, the production and tones are more refined than ever, offering a wonderfully matured and tranquil expression. Looking to evocative lyrical work to form a record primarily focused on death and its many faces, The Dream is a vast soundscape of cultural and historical touchpoints, all woven into a modern framework to create a record that is truly of the time. (Liberator) Jacqui Picone

Spiritualized Everything Was Beautiful

While exploring deserted London streets during lockdown, Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce (AKA J. Spaceman) tuned into the birdsong that would’ve been drowned out by traffic and the din of crowds back in The Old Normal. This activity helped him decode mixes he was struggling with for Everything Was Beautiful .

Opener Always Together With You gradually builds, from Morse code bleeps and distant sirens to no-holds-barred orchestral climax (we’re talking choir, string and brass sections plus chimes courtesy of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry), as Pierce woos listeners with a string of romantic promises. Evoking Waylon Jennings’ classic ballad Dreaming My Dreams With Yo u, Crazy lingers like a delicious scent and features Nikki Lane – who penned this tune many moons ago – on BVs. Horn blasts from passing trains, dinging traffic signals and hectic woodwind set the scene for Mainline . “I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the city toni-i-i-i-i-ight…” – here Spiritualized wonderfully recreate a feeling akin to hooning around with a new flame while more sensible residents of the city sleep. We can picture orchestral musicians beaming while unleashing chaos during the closing cacophony of penultimate track The A Song (Laid in Your Arms) . And then closer I’m Coming Home Again sees Pierce achieving Bowie-level suave with that insouciant delivery. Although incredibly detailed, multilayered and lush, Everything Was Beautiful somehow never feels overcrowded. (Bella Union/PIAS) Bryget Chrisfield

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