Drowned In Sound // Reviews

Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna

John Semple

Gang Gang Dance have long flirted with ideas of populist structures and hip-hop rhythms but on their latest record they have successfully channelled those previous experiments with free-form percussion and texture into their most focussed, coherent record to date.

Papier Tigre - The Beginning And End Of Now

Christopher Alcxxk

There are some records that you just want to blow you away. Records by awesome live bands. Records with all the right influences. Records from unlikely places. Papier Tigre's The Beginning And End Of Now is one such record.

Headless Heroes - The Silence of Love

Alexander Tudor

A folk covers record put together by the A&R behind Mark Ronson’s Versions, Headless Heroes is an intriguing prospect. Half the tracklisting leaps out like a compilation you might make for your new paramour, provided they’re slightly morose, and drawn to the darker end of indie and/or folk...

R.E.M. - Murmur: Deluxe Edition

Andrzej Lukowski

Murmur’s continued potency is that its magic refuses forensic explanation. Contextualise it in indie history all you like, but ultimately Murmur stands alone, a perfect circle.

Glasvegas - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)

David Renshaw

Glasvegas have something special, but I'll be damned if I can work out exactly what it is.

Cat Power - Dark End Of The Street

Sam Lewis

On the surface Dark End Of The Street is nicely put together but almost all these covers lack the passion of 2000’s Covers Album.

Laura Marling, Jay Jay Pistolet at Islington King's Cross Scala, Tue 11 Nov

Charlie Gilmour

The London folk circuit seems to have seen more heartbreak than a fat person's cardiologist. Tonight's performance proves that Laura Marling is the most delicate bloom in this bruised bouquet by far, and she shines, dazzlingly, for almost two hours.

Mirror Mirror - The Society For The Advancement Of Inflammatory Consciousness

Andrzej Lukowski

The Society For The Advancement Of Inflammatory Consciousness isn’t hit or miss – it’s a bunch of songs that sound like they simply weren’t done well enough.

Wilderness - (k)no(w)here

Chris Power

(k)no(w)here isn't a party album, but for all its gloominess it's never dour or dispiriting. On the contrary, it's the sound of the Baltimore art-rock four-piece Wilderness expressing a sense of faith in the transformative power of art.

Goldfrapp at Leeds Academy, Mon 03 Nov

Joseph Weiler

The Goldfrapp Paradox: They now have an equally balanced catalogue of loud ones / quiet songs, but the two can't really coexist together live. It’s not the band's fault as such, you just need a patient audience, and this wasn’t one of them.

Violens - Violens EP

Dom Gourlay

God knows what chemicals they're putting in the Catskills springs at present but we could sure as hell do with some sending our way over this side of the Atlantic...

Nadja @ The Underworld, Camden, Nov. 25th

Alexander Tudor

Avant-metal outfit Nadja typical track length is 19 minutes. Surprisingly, though, this was quite the nicest, fluffiest, loveliest evening I’ve spent at a gig in a long time.

Wolf Parade @ The Electric Ballroom, Camden, Dec. 1st

Alexander Tudor

Having nabbed the Arcade Fire support slot when they went stellar, scored a Pitchfork Top 10 album with their own debut, blown that away with the new one, and (tonight) changed venue due to demand, Wolf Parade are entering new territory.

Remember Remember - Remember Remember

Mike Haydock

his debut by Remember Remember sits snugly alongside Errors’ debut album on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, proving that those wily Scots don’t just make fantastic music, they can also spot it from a mile off. Yet with this lot it's happy songs for happy people...

Dark Captain Light Captain at London 100 Club, Wed 12 Nov

Daniel Ross

Touring their extremely good debut LP Miracle Kicker, Dark Captain Light Captain appear to have grown not only in number (from two to six) but also in dynamic range.

High Places at Newcastle upon Tyne Head of Steam, Mon 17 Nov

Richard MacFarlane

One and a half songs into High Places' set, the sound suddenly cuts out on account of the US to UK power converter exploding. This unfortunate turn of events fails to outshine what still proves to be an inspired display of music and resourcefulness

Jay Reatard at Liverpool Korova, Sat 22 Nov

David Renshaw

Much is made (specifically on YouTube) of audience members' likelihood of getting kicked or punched from the stage at one of Jay Reatard's shows. DiS donned a crash helmet and went along to check him out...

Anni Rossi - Afton EP

Luke Slater

The raw elements are present in Afton, but Rossi is only 22, and has much time to develop. Nevertheless her debut 4AD EP is a consistent 20 minutes of raw beauty, and holds as much worth in itself as it does in the anticipation of what could follow.

Anathallo - Canopy Glow

James Skinner

That Anathallo's first offering as part of the widely admired anticon collective initially proves impenetrable should come as little surprise to many. Nebulous, beautiful and frustrating – Canopy Glow is, resoundingly, all these things.

Au - Verbs

Chris Power

A sprawling collective endeavour centred around classically-trained pianist and multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland, Verbs builds satisfyingly on the promise of Au's self-titled 2007 debut.