Liam Reviews: Canadian indie veterans, egg-punk, a jazz record by Flea, and more!

 Wintersleep - Wishing Moon

Rather appropriately, Wintersleep have released album number eight in the Spring, following what can only be assumed to be a winter sleep of sorts. This Canadian indie five-piece were recommended to me by a good friend via their 2010 album New Inheritors. It was an enjoyable listen on the whole, though it perhaps lacks a certain immediacy.

On Wishing Moon, there is a lot more immediacy, though only in fits and starts. The album as a cohesive whole works exceptionally well, though there are a couple of less interesting tracks littered throughout. That said, highlights are certainly here to be found. There's the almost nu-metal sounding riff of 'Wait for the Tide', which somehow doesn't feel off at all, and even ascends into a rather gorgeous conclusion. 

Then there's the Kurt Vile-esque arpeggiated riff that repeats through 'My Mind Always' like a mantra that's somehow both anxious and comforting. What follows is the haunting outro of 'After You', and the obvious single 'Abyss', which sings gleefully about being in the abyss like it's a Champions League place. It's probably the best track here, along with penultimate track 'All Eyes' with its punishingly driving riff - there's something quite Big Thief about it. The first listen might not convince you of this album's quality, but repeat listens reveal new things every time.

8/10

Robyn - Sexistential

I was genuinely gobsmacked recently to discover that Robyn's career dates back to 1989, as I'd genuinely thought 'With Every Heartbeat' in 2007 was her debut single. What's even more insane is that Sexistential is album number nine, and the multi-talented Swedish singer is still only 46 years of age. In any case, this is her first album since 2018's Honey, and clocking in at just under half an hour, it's short, but is it sweet?

Well, almost certainly yes - it's an album essentially filled with solid pop bangers. Highlights include single 'Dopamine' which was a pretty logical choice as far as that's concerned. The title track is also fantastic, with Robyn essentially rapping, and it not sounding all that unusual.

Given it's short run-time, and the lack of variety, it's not the most exciting or enthralling pop album as a whole, but it's good fun, and pretty enjoyable. Moreover, in an age where a lot of music in the charts is losing all meaning, it's refreshing to see an artist like Robyn with such longevity.

7/10

Kyle Falconer - Lovely Night of Terror

Some may be familiar with the name Kyler Falconer, but can't quite pinpoint why. Well, Falconer is (or was) frontman of The View, whose Hats of to the Buskers album soundtracked my own, as well as many an indie kid's adolescent years in the late noughties. Tracks like 'Wasted Little DJs' had such staying power, as we all boasted about having the same jeans on for four days.

This is Falconer's fourth solo record, and it features the likes of Pete Doherty, Dave McCabe (The Zutons), and Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), but is it any good? In all honesty, not really. Gone is that ramshackle rebellious spirit of The View's first couple of albums, and instead is this tedious, corporate sheen. It tries too hard to sound like something you'd hear in the charts.

Even the Pete Doherty featuring 'Midas Touch' just doesn't come off well at all, and almost sounds like Maroon 5 - and not the tolerable early stuff either. I mean the latter, post-'Moves Like Jagger' bullshit. By all means, evolution of sound is perfectly fine, especially after almost twenty years since bursting onto the scene. But Jesus Christ...there has to be something enjoyable, and not the slop as being served up here.

3/10

Flea - Honora

It's not often that Nick Cave and Thom Yorke pop up on the same record, but of course only someone as renowned and celebrated as Flea could make that happen. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist is branching out into the world of jazz on his first solo album, Honora, having devoted a lot of time to taking up his childhood instrument, the trumpet. As well as playing that on this album, he does of course also dabble in his true love of the bass guitar.

The result is an album that gets off to an absolute flyer with the magnificent 'A Plea' - the spoken word part calling for world peace adds another layer to a pounding and driving jazz track that sounds incredible. Sadly the rest of the album struggles to live up to this fantastic opener, though there are still some good cuts here.

The cover of Frank Ocean's 'Thinkin' Bout You' is superb, just as the Nick Cave featuring 'Wichita Lineman' cover also has something hauntingly beautiful about it. The Thom Yorke featuring 'Traffic Lights' is a bit of a drag, but otherwise the tracklist is pretty solid. It's just great to see such a great and talented artist as Flea branching out beyond the confines of playing along to another song about California...

7/10

Snooper - Worldwide on Tape

Snooper stand at the forefront of *checks notes* egg-punk. Though this is a sentence I never would have expected to write in all my years of writing, it's true, egg-punk being synonymous with lo-fi Devo-style eccentricities and the freneticism of punk. If there's one thing Snooper excel at, it's frenetic, energy-driven punk. Why the genre is named egg-punk, I've no idea. In any case, Snooper are ace and worthy of your attention.

Though debut album Super Snooper clocked in at just 22 minutes, it's 22 minutes you'd struggle to find a better use for (no offence). At 27 minutes, the follow-up is essentially Snooper's equivalent of a Swans' album.  Naturally it's over as soon as it begins, but it's a swashbucklingly excellent ride. One of those albums that warrants a repeat listen as soon as it's finished. But then because it's so brief, it perhaps leaves a tiny bit to be desired, and one repeat listen is enough, a bit like gorging on too much sugar.

Highlights are, however, plentiful, from the minute long punk energy of 'On Line' to a cover of The Beatles' 'Come Together' (titled 'CT' on the tracklist) which somehow makes an already ridiculous track (lyrically at least) sound even more absurd. Egg punk is here to stay, but the main question is; just how far can it actually be taken?

7/10

Snail Mail - Ricochet

Five years on from her last record, Valentine, Snail Mail is back with Ricochet, her third album. Though often critically acclaimed, I'm yet to be fully on board the Snail Mail train. The solo vehicle of Lindsay Jordan made a huge breakthrough at just 15 with her EP Habit in 2015, which was worth the hype. All that said, nothing on Lush or Valentine really followed up on that hype.

Ricochet, however, is definitely her finest album yet - clocking in at 41 minutes over the course of a solid eleven track run. Things seem to be a lot more grandiose with the use of an orchestra throughout, but nothing seems overstated nor exaggerated - it's still an album of down-to-earth, solid indie songs. 'Tractor Beam' kicks the album off with that gentle orchestral flourish, before 'My Maker' fades out gorgeously.

'Agony Freak' is the undoubted high point with its insanely catchy chorus, which somehow works perfectly in tandem with the lyrics that focus on wallowing in one's own misery. 'Butterfly' is another highlight with its unmistakably 90s vibes, with lyrics that could also come straight from any early Smashing Pumpkins' album. Then comes closing track 'Reverie', which is genuinely the most tailor-made closing track you could imagine. It all culminates to create what is undoubtedly Snail Mail's best effort so far, and is an exciting indicator as to what could lie ahead - just don't leave it another five years ideally.

8/10