Robyn Writes

Review: Darko – Sea Of Trees [EP]

Surrey’s Darko are a rare breed of band. When it comes to metal, you get bands who are blindingly skilful at their instruments but seem averse to putting any accessible elements into their music and are completely chorus-shy. You also get bands who can bring out an epic chorus with the best of them but have to stick to their Neanderthal drop-D riffs and run for cover at the mere mention of a guitar solo. Darko are a rare breed because they marry these two styles together; you get incredibly feats of musicianship coupled with super catchy choruses. This should be a world-beater, and yet…

Sea of Trees begins with an intro track, which always strikes fear into this reviewer. The EP should be a short sharp shock of a manifesto and few bands can get away with beginning anything with what is essentially filler. Darko’s ‘Prologue’ acts as a 30-second statement of intent, but what it truly amounts to is an intro and a verse which – given the time and development – could have turned into a killer song.

There is plenty to like on Sea of Trees. All of the songs display a dizzyingly high level of technical ability and musicianship with guitar figures that recall Architects, or even early Funeral For A Friend – the choruses are huge, and the production is slick and professional so you can hear everything clearly in the mix. The vocal attack is also impressive and when they allow themselves to switch gear into a more mathy, prog-styled instrumental section, as on ‘Canthus Viewpoints’, they prove that there are some pretty interesting ideas going on here.

The problem is that there is little if any variation on show here. Darko have proven they can do technical punk-metal but essentially Sea of Trees is a prologue and five songs which are more or less identical in terms of structure, length, tempo and style. If Darko want to go on to bigger things, they are going to have to learn some new tricks.

2 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Cayetana – Nervous Like Me

I’m just gonna come out and say it. Cayetana might actually have come out with the record of the year. At the very least, it’s certainly up there in that category of bands who release incredible, gut-wrenchingly honest debut records. From the opening chords of ‘Serious Things Are Stupid’, as Augusta Koch’s perfectly imperfect vocals ring out “I came here alone / and I plan to leave that way”, it’s difficult to think that this record could be anything but amazing. Nervous Like Me is infectious, low-fi pop-punk ambrosia. Drink it in and be inspired.

Nervous Like Me may not be punk rock 101, but it’s certainly rooted firmly in that tradition. It’s impossible to think that they barely knew how to play a damn thing before forming in 2011, but three years and a shedload of shows can teach you a thing or two. That being said, these tracks aren’t a million miles away from 2012’s demo., in that they’ve got that raw, unflinching emotion running the whole way through, and an almost organic sense of melody. Kelly Olsen’s beats are executed to absolute precision, and Allegra Anka’s rumbling basslines tie each song together beautifully. From the surf-punk splendour of ‘Animal’ to the scuzzy, unrelenting buzz of ‘Favourite Things’, it all fits together perfectly against the odds.

In a genre that’s oversaturated by dudebros (although this is getting lesser and lesser, which is awesome), it’s also pretty great to hear these kind of songs coming from a female perspective. It’s easy to get burned out on tracks about perpetual teenagers or disillusioned male millenials when there’s so much around, but Cayetana’s simple, heartfelt approach is honest and refreshing. There’s still all the trials and tribulations of being 20-something right here, right now, but it’s beautifully presented and completely absorbing. ‘Madame B’ sums it all up better than anything else could. Before the bridge kicks in, Koch drawls “Tell me, is there strength behind my eyes?” and I don’t think I’ve ever empathised with a song so much. Even if you’re a non-believer, as ‘South Philly’ builds to a triumphant crescendo, you’ll get it. You will.

If I haven’t convinced you how incredible this record is (it’s likely I haven’t, because I just can’t stop gushing about it), then head over to SoundCloud, take half an hour and discover something extraordinary.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Millsted – Harlem

You may not have heard of them before, you may not know that they broke apart as a band for three years because of personal turmoil between band members and you might not have listened to their two previous releases (Umm….Yea in 2008 and The Great Adventures of the Gold Red Rocket in 2009), but I’m here to tell you that none of that matters! If you’re going to do anything tonight, apart from maybe getting some shut-eye, it should be checking out Harlem by noise-punk-hardcore outfit Millsted. With this 8 track LP, Millsted roar back to life and have exploded onto my radar because of their ‘fuck this shit’ attitude and bone-crunching, cacophonous sound. Seriously, dude, check them out.

So who are they? Millsted are a bunch of guys from New York, all with different backgrounds and influences to smash into this stellar release. Individually they are vocalist Kelvin Uffré, guitarists Christopher Carambot and Robert Dumé, bassist Samuel Fernandez and drummer Peter Belolli. Their influences are varied, from John Coltrane and Otis Redding to Black Flag and The Flaming Lips, but on this record a key inspiration is early 80’s punk. Regardless of their disparate influences, for the whole band the music is about soul, passion, brutal honesty and going against the norm.

In Harlem, Millsted succeed where so many others fail, really capturing the raw feeling and natural sound of a live show in a recording. The songs are meant to push you to the edge, they’re meant to make you feel uncomfortable; above all the sound and lyrical content show you that everything is not okay. Millsted capture the angst and anger other bands can only hint at, they pack it up and through HARLEM they unleash it on your ears in a furiously short burst (all 8 tracks together clock in at under half an hour – this is punk after all).

The LP rages into life with the instrumental ‘Perfume’. Belolli pummels along on the drums, driving the noise towards its grating conclusion, before second track ‘Coyote’ rips its way out. In its two-and-a-half minute run time all hell breaks loose in exactly the punkish way you would expect. We’re treated to relentless drums, rip-your-throat-out riffs and an unremitting assault from Uffré’s shredding vocals.

Millsted’s strength is in just how much hardcore they slam out in the package of punk, but they take the time to prove they aren’t a one trick pony in ‘Seafoam Lovers’. When I say they take the time, they take a long time, nine whole minutes, about 6 punk tracks worth of time! In fact, of all the eight songs on Harlem, the psychedelic wanderings of ‘Seafoam Lovers’ takes up about a third of the running time and they’re ballsy to put it there. They restrain themselves and surprise listeners by using their musical prowess to sculpt something of mystery and beauty, not just mind-smashing fury. It’s hypnotic rather than psychotic, but remains twisted and distorted, in tune with the whole record while sounding completely different.

Treat yourself, ‘Coyote’ is available as a free download over at Soundcloud, and Harlem is also available on all popular download and streaming sites (Itunes, Amazon, Spotify).

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Still Bust – 77 For You (57 For Me) [EP]

It’s been a bit of a tough time for Still Bust recently. Just before heading into the studio to record this EP, long time drummer Sam Piper left the band. For a band that have pretty much been a whole for ten years, that’s a tough pill to swallow. However, they carried on, got four tracks laid down and stepped up to the plate. The result is a fast, frenetic and compelling record, spitting out modern-life vitriol as far as the eye can see to a backing of mathy-as-fuck hardcore.

It took about ten years for Still Bust to record a proper album. A Few Things We Might Agree On (A Few Things We Might Not) was absolutely cracking – we reviewed it when it came out last year. However, it was a sprawling affair in places, distracted in others. It was also a lot more cut-and-dry punk rock. 77 For You (57 For Me) shows that Still Bust have learned from past endeavours and instead, they’re back as a lean, mean, guitar-thrashing machine. The production’s a lot slicker, Matty’s vocals are a lot more vicious, and there’s a lot of tasty breakdowns. For a four-track EP, there’s some beastly tracks, like record closer ‘Twenty Foot (Broken Foot)’ which clocks in at 6:19, finishing on a round of blast beats that Immortal might be proud of. No track is under three minutes, which is a far cry from the last record, but it works in Still Bust’s favour – no track is easily forgettable.

Opener ‘It’s Your Fault And You’re Stupid (Kind Regards Barbaros Icoglu)’ shows that they haven’t lost their penchant for ridiculous song titles. It’s also got one of my favourite ‘call and response’ vocal bits in any song ever, stupid time signatures and a misleading ending – you think it’s all over, but it comes right back in for another assault. ‘TV On After Breakfast (Would You Like Your Haircut Today)’ is a damning attack on social media, with a fantastic chorus and wicked half-time bits threaded throughout. ‘I’ve Never Been More Happy To Have A Hypo (However This Could Mean I Have Irreparable Knee Damage)’ has a lot more melody than the previous songs, but is just as technically proficient, with a rock and roll riff between the first and second verses that’ll make you want to punch the air victoriously (protip: don’t do this while driving. You will hit the roof of your car. It will hurt) with joy. ‘Twenty Foot (Broken Foot)’ is a great closer – Matty’s pained screams across a slow, echoing backing are utterly absorbing and wholly devastating. It’s a really powerful ending to an ultimately brilliant record.

So Still Bust have come out swinging, and they’ve done it splendidly. Hardcore record of the year from the Gloucestershire boys? It just might be so.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Haze – Clouds Surround and Breathe

Nobody can claim that Haze is in any way, shape or form the most interesting or engaging band name in history, but in some ways, it is an appropriate one with which to describe the sound they make on debut Clouds Surround and Breathe. It’s an album of great scale that touches on many of the conventions of hardcore and post-rock, yet in places gets completely lost in a fog of its own ambition.

The album kicks off with an atmospheric, intricately layered, delay-drenched guitar intro that gently washes over the listener. Slowly, the drums build in the background, but this is the calm before the storm. If this an exercise in tension, the wave never truly, satisfyingly breaks before the end of the song.

Next up is ‘I Can’t Help But Get Lost’, which jumps straight in with absolutely no fanfare, but in its place an astoundingly blood-curdling vocal. There is a great deal of passion on show here, and the song sits somewhere between Russian Circles and the last Reuben album. What Haze could learn from Reuben though, is that sometimes you need to throw a hook in there. This is all blood, piss and vinegar, but there’s not a lot here that remains memorable, which sets off a disappointing trend for the rest of the LP.

Songs such as ‘Like Glass’, ‘Forma’ and Loomer all stick pretty much to formula. It is difficult to distinguish these songs from each other, never mind the vast multitude of fiddly, post-rock bands noodling for their lives at the moment. It isn’t that these are bad songs; it’s just that they seem almost terrified of deviating from what is expected of them. They also have a tendency to sit on an idea long past it’s sell by date.

That said, there are plenty of brilliant moments on show here. If you can’t find something to enjoy in the sprawling nine minutes of ‘Upheaval’, you probably aren’t a fan of epic post-rock and hardcore. Brutal hardcore rubs shoulders with fuzzy noise rock, as well as woozy alternative psych-rock. Then there is ‘Morrina’, which has its faults but you can’t fault this band’s ambition. Not to mention, some of the instrumentation here is really impressive, atmospheric and tasteful.

There is plenty to like on Clouds Surround and Breathe but as an album, it could do with plenty of fat being cut from it. This is a band who display a high level of musicianship and deliver passion in spades, but a few hooks here and there would not go amiss. This is an album for beard-stroking musos rather than lovers of the chorus.

2.5 out of 5 high fives!