Friday, January 28, 2011

Jeudah – The Edge of the World (single)

The story behind new Swedish band Jeudah is something of an interesting one. Its two members Jan Jämte and Kristian Karlsson, have for years been plying their trade in different hardworking bands in their home country of Sweden. Vocalist Jämte with progressive, alternative metal group Khoma and instrumentalist Karlsson with post rockers Pg.lost and Eskju Divine.

Living over 800 kilometres apart the two musicians haven’t had many opportunities to meet in person, instead the idea of Jeudah has been forged through a long distance relationship built around countless hours of telephone conversations and experimenting alone in front of microphones and amplifiers. And the result according to the band is a sound that encompasses vulnerability, heaviness and epic soundscapes – all in a straightforward, melodic manner.

Jämte explains further “When Kristian sent me a few songs in 2008 I immediately felt there was a musical connection. Sometimes you don’t have to talk a lot, or spend hour after hour in a rehearsal room. You just hear it and know what to do. So I just started to sing. It was like opening a dam.”

During a couple of months in 2008 Jeudah had written over 20 songs and in January the following year Jan and Kristian finally met to start the recording of the debut album While We Sleep. Recruiting Thomas Hedlund also in Khoma on drumming duties, the band kept all other outside interference to a minimum, recording and producing the album themselves. A year later the record While We Sleep was done and is scheduled for release through Blackstar Foundation in March of this year.

The first release from the album is the starkly, beautiful The Edge of the World. With a rumbling drumbeat, gorgeous guitars and piano blended with Jämtes vocal, which falls somewhere between Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Jón Pór Birgisson of Sigur Ros, it offers a small taste of what promises to be an excellent debut record.

The Edge of the World is available for free download at

http://jeudah.bandcamp.com/track/the-edge-of-the-world

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Already a contender for album title of the year, Mogwai release their eagerly anticipated new album, the exquisitely titled Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will on February 14th. The bands seventh studio outing and a follow up to 2008s disappointingly, indulgent The Hawk Is Howling, finds Glasgows finest back in stunning form.

The albums breezes into life with the joyously, nostalgic White Noise, which harks back to the likes of the excellent Golden Porsche on the Happy Songs for Happy People record. This is followed by the electro tinged Mexican Grand Prix, its barely audible hushed words another perfect example of Mogwais selective use of vocals.

The snarling, sneering guitar work on Rano Pano, the records first release, is in somewhat stark contrast to what has come before it, but fits perfectly into the structure of things. For me however, the absolute highlight on an album full of highlights comes in the shape of How to be a Werewolf. The sweeping guitars of Braithwaite, Cummings and Burns coupled with the steady consistency of Martin Bulloch drums bring you to that rare place musically, where before the song even ends you want to press repeat and play it again and this time play the fucker loud.

Then, it seems as quick as it has all begun comes the final track You’re Lionel Richie, which ends proceedings in a hail of beautiful building guitars, pounding snares and hi hats and Japanese samples.

This is the band’s first release for seminal label Sub Pop and once again finds Mogwai hook up with producer Paul Savage (the man behind 1997′s exceptional Mogwai Young Team) who has to be commended on the outstanding production work he has done yet again.

There is very little to fault with Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will so I am not even going to try. To be honest, the album kind of gave me head, all be it of course in a purely cerebral way. This is truly brilliant stuff, welcome back Mogwai.