Tags: Alex Davies, Elliot Minor, Reprosession Records, Solaris

Record Label: Repossesion Records

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Having enjoyed some success in recent times—including a top 10 debut LP—Elliot Minor return in emotionally-charged, ambitious style with album number two. This is pop-rock firmly wedged at the ‘pop’ end of the scale: it’s music of the introspective ballad and tug-away-at-your-heart-strings variety, with Alex Davies’ lovelorn, heartfelt vocals supported by an excess of tinkering keys, stirring orchestration and the occasional sudden swerve into guitar solo territory. It’s a mash of Muse, Sunset Avenue and Coldplay, and as a band Elliot Minor have got the hooks and the tunes to soon have you cheerfully humming along.

The potential album standout moment comes in the form of ‘Better Than The Courtroom’, featuring verses so downright spot-on at pulling those heartstrings into knots that most acoustic guitar-wielding songwriters would probably commit murder to have to written it. But—and this ‘but’ is indicative of a lot of ‘Solaris’, sadly—the song is ultimately a little underwhelming, thanks here to a chorus that feels lazy after such a strong build-up. ‘Solaris’, then, is a bunch of tracks that show Elliot Minor to be perfectly competent in what they do but missing a certain something.

Tags: Codeine Velvet Club, Fratellis, Jon Lawler, Lou Hickley, Vanity Kills

Record Label: Island Records

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A collaboration between Jon Lawler of Fratellis’ fame and up-and-coming jazz multi-instrumentalist and singer Lou Hickey, the Codeine Velvet Club unleash their lavish debut single, a track soaked in glitter, jazzy charm and a cheeky slither of bitchiness. An upbeat intro leads into a brassy, vibrant number bursting with cabaret cool. Lawler and Hickey share vocal duties, with Hickey taking the bulk of the lead, a role which Hickey, who has two self-produced EPs under her belt, rises to superbly. Meanwhile, the song’s sassy chorus, which finds Hickey sultrily telling us “Life’s a roll of the dice/But you pay the price”, has a vibe wedged somewhere between a Bond theme song and a Hollywood show tune extravaganza. Glitzy and dramatic, ‘Vanity Kills’ easily musters enough cinematic atmosphere to demand repeat listening, while offering something entirely different from the pack of copycat indie and electro-pop bands out there.

Tags: Allegro, Austin Allegro, City Lights

‘City Lights’, from London boys Allegro, is simple and likeable enough upbeat-indie-by-numbers, at various points featuring some guitar neatly soloing away in an almost bluesy fashion. Vocalist Austin has a sound somewhere between a gravel pit and a whine: it’s bearable on the title track, but gets on your nerves by the time you’ve made it to the first of the two B-sides here, ‘Won’t You See’, in which it degenerates into an unpleasant warble by the end of this meandering and unfulfilling ballad. Stick to upbeat, guys. ‘Hola Senorita’, meanwhile, just feels downright messy, which isn’t always a bad thing, but here loses the song some impact. Of course it is ‘City Lights’ itself that’s under the spotlight here, and it suffers from being workmanlike but nothing special: kind of the musical equivalent of Corn Flakes. It won’t set your world on fire. It won’t steal your heart, your soul, or make you put Allegro on a pedestal above every other indie-rock band you know and love. But it will allow you to rock out in a moderate fashion for a few minutes, which is better than nothing, right?

Tags: Autumn, Jason Sullivan, La Push, New Model Army, Today Is A Good Day

Record Label: Attack Attack Records

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Tough-to-pigeonhole cult band New Model Army are now on LP eleven, and what’s stunning, not to mention refreshing, is the sheer variety of genres melded together on this, their latest. The self-titled, incendiary opening track screams in at the high end of the metallic ball park, while the following number, ‘Autumn’, ditches the metal for a softer approach tinged with folk influences, strains of which crop up in later tracks such as ‘La Push’. Though there’s quality running throughout this LP, things really pick up at track six. ‘Disappeared’ is a sudden assault on the eardrums with its salvo of intense, almost tribal drumming; ‘Arm Yourselves and Run’ blends aggro-punk and more traditional metal with ease and flair, and the formidable ‘Ocean Rising’ is what you get when you mix lush orchestration, hard rock and what appears to be a shipping forecast. Throughout, Justin Sullivan’s brooding vocals fit snugly: they’re somewhere between singing and a restrained growl for the heavier tracks, but switch seamlessly to a more melodic tone for the album’s folky numbers, while retaining a considerable presence. By turns sinister and uplifting, occasionally surprising, but always powerful, ‘Today Is A Good Day’ is an absolutely storming release.

Tags: Camera Obscura, Honey In The Sun, The Sweetest Thing, Tougher Than The Rest, Tracyanne Campbell

Record Label: 4AD

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Glaswegians Camera Obscura returned this summer with their fourth LP, and this here, single numero two, is in a sense a concise representation of that album: lavish, pleasant on the ears, but ultimately a little forgettable. For those unfamiliar, the sound of Camera Obscura is poised neatly between the lush harmonies of The Sundays, the feyness of Belle and Sebastian and 60s pop at its most twee. There’s no denying that ‘The Sweetest Thing’ is a breezy, enjoyable number in that tradition. Tracyanne Campbell’s distinctive vocals are as accomplished and as warm as ever here, backed up by some impressive, sweeping orchestration. The single boasts a fetching ballad of a B-side too in ‘Tougher Than The Rest’, an example of just how well Camera Obscura do maudlin. But as a single, ‘The Sweetest Thing’ lacks the punch of the band’s earlier work, up to and including their storming last release, ‘Honey In The Sun’. So while this effort may help to position the band closer to the hearts and minds of pop fans the country over—something wholly deserved overall—it’s not a fair reflection of what Camera Obscura are truly capable of.

Tags: Absent Elk, Caight In The Headlights, Change My World, Emily, Sun & Water

Record Label: Amazon Records

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Not too long after causing a buzz on the net with their cover videos of the likes of Lady Gaga and Girls Aloud, four-parts British, one-part Norwegian indie kids Absent Elk give us their debut LP. Things start off with a bang, with single ‘Sun & Water’ welcoming you into a tapestry of warm yet autumnal melodies and lush orchestration. Track two, ‘Emily’, shows off the band’s penchant for slick guitars, soaring choruses and neat backing vocals. The track comes complete with a dynamic change of pace two-thirds of the way in, illustrative of the twists and turns Absent Elk enjoy throwing the listener’s way during their best moments. The album’s fourth track, ‘Change My World’, is of the majestic, doe-eyed, heart-melting breed of song, the kind of ballad which if Take That were to release it, you’d probably be too embarrassed to say you liked it. But they won’t, so feel free to bask in its epic sentimentality. Not everything on this debut is a winner: a few later tracks fade into blandness a little. Without a doubt though, Absent Elk have that certain spark, resulting in an absorbing debut, which promises greatness to come.

Tags: Dan Swift, Meretto, Street Talking, Stu Bell

The word on the street says Meretto are a band on the rise. After delivering their debut, ‘Chainsaw Art’, four years ago, the Berkshire lads are back with another slice of indie-punk goodness in the shape of a new LP, ‘Street Talking’, along with a single, ‘Devotion’.

And since Meretto are a band with a clear fondness for chit-chat, if their album title is anything to go by, we thought we’d have a few words with their founding members, vocalist/guitarist Stu Bell and bassist Matt Burgess.

Hi guys. How would you say your new LP ‘Street Talking’ differs as an album from your first?

For a start it is a lot less proggy. We wanted to make it a little slicker and craft the songs a bit more, but still keep the Meretto sound. There is definitely more of an emphasis on rhythm and keeping the groove.

Was there any particular blueprint or concept in mind while you were writing the new album?

It’s about some of our experiences in London and the falsehood of moving to the city bringing prosperity, and that it is very easy to get caught up in the daily grind and to forget about your aspirations. [It’s] really about the nuts and bolts of life taking over, leaving less room for the more enjoyable things.

You worked with [Snow Patrol/Biffy Clyro producer] Dan Swift on ‘Street Talking’; how was that and what did he bring to the process?

Dan joined us in the mixing stage of the album, so it was only very brief. Good chap; really provided some energy to the mixes! Would be interesting to work with him again.

Actually, most of the album was recorded at the Outhouse in Reading (our mate John Mitchell’s studio). We like the studio and get on well with John; he has helped us a lot over the last few years in developing our sound.

The new single, ‘Devotion’, has quite an uplifting sound; is this representative of the new album as a whole?

Yeah, there is an air of optimism in some of the tracks, especially with ‘Devotion’, in that we can do better with our lives. [Then] there are some darker, grittier moments like in ‘A Method of Urban Survival’ and ‘Caesium Baby’.”

Your music has been cited in various publications as reminding reviewers of artists such as, the Manics, At The Drive-In, Joy Division…how does it feel to be compared to bands like these; is it something you are conscious of in your music?

It’s nice, we like those bands a lot; but the writing is not by design. We just get on with it and if it floats our boat at the time then it makes the cut. I suppose anything we have listened to will translate into our own songs, so no, [we’re] not that conscious of it.

What are Meretto’s plans for the future? Are there any ideas floating about already for the next album?

We are currently writing at the moment and hope to have some demo tracks recorded by Christmas. Everything is quite stripped down in terms of arrangement; [we’re] just trying to get the melodies right at the moment. Then if finances permit—Meretto is at present a self-funded project—we can go ahead with the next album in 2010.

Tags: lucky elephant, Reverend Tilsley & His Magic Lamp, Sunday Best

Record Label: Sunday Best

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This is pop music, Jim, but not as we know it. For a start, eccentric Sunday Best crew Lucky Elephant are packing a harmonium and a wurlitzer, and on this single, come together to create soundscapes somewhere between low-key ska and the Grange Hill theme tune. Oddly enough, this isn’t the horror story you might expect, though it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. ‘Reverend Tilsley…’, then, concerns a hard-drinking, lantern-bearing 19^th gent and boasts a leisurely pace coupled with a summery, laconic vibe. Yet it somehow manages to refrain from drifting off into delirium; it sounds fresh yet also suggests a golden, rose-tinted past full of fun fairs, surreal music halls and cabarets. Singer Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Labescat adds his reggae-tinged vocals to the pot and, hurrah, they fit snugly into the whole affair. B-sides include the haunting, piano and samples-led ‘When You Fall To Earth’, which intrigues and disturbs in equal measure with its voice recordings straight from the ghosts of the ‘Nam. Also included is the jazzier ‘Red Ties’ along with ‘Neptune’, which hints at shades of shoegaze pop and illustrates exactly how varied the Lucky Elephant canon may be.

Tags: NME, No Smoke No Mirrors, Publi Service Broadcast, The Holloways, Under A Cloud

Record Label: Madfish/The Orchard

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Cheery London boys The Holloways had some success back in 2006 and were even hotly tipped by the NME at one point. This, their second album, is chock full of bright, exuberant pop-rock, as the cheeky chappies ramble merrily through tropical melodies and dubious lyrics. Beneath the happy-go-lucky exterior though, something rotten lurks. Listen carefully to the ska-tinged anti-chav anthem ‘On The Bus’, and you’ll possibly hear the sound of the lyrical barrel being scrapped. Meanwhile, ‘Under A Cloud’, which deals with the clearly burning issue that is the overuse of computers, manages to sound almost offensively trite on the very first listening. The album as a whole smacks of jubilant jauntiness—you’d have a tough time not cracking a smile to breezy tracks like ‘Public Service Broadcast’—but unfortunately the melding of calypso and indie The Holloways churn out is as much irritating as it is exciting. While it’s not all bad—album closer ‘Knock Me Down’, a more reflective number which ushers in a slight change of pace (too late, lads) is ironically probably the best offering here—it’s an album that’s likely to initially amuse, but bore on repeated listens.

Tags: Even Johansen, Lonely No More, Magnet, Pennydrop, Selfhelper

Record Label: Hermetix

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Norwegian Even Johansen, better known as Magnet, returns with an EP which blurs the line between indie and folk with four complex and often surprising songs. On ‘Pennydrop’ and ‘Selfhelper’, Johansen successfully and skilfully weaves his dreamy, understated vocals through a buoyant atmosphere littered with fleeting glimpses of a dramatic range of instruments. On title track ‘Lonely No More’, for example, a brassy accompaniment lends the whole affair a formidable backbone, leading it away from the wishy-washy romantic dirge it could have easily withered into. Meanwhile, Johansen tries his hand at a more mainstream-sounding indie ballad on the enchanting ‘1997’. It’s a winner, and the EP’s standout moment. Suffused with a warm sentimentality, opening quietly and unassumingly before blossoming into a powerful, optimistic chorus, Johansen chants “Everything is going to be all right” to the melancholic tinkling of piano keys.  Like early Embrace and Badly Drawn Boy, the track manages to be poignant without being cloying. Four autumnal soundscapes brimming with invention, and worth checking out for ‘1997’ alone.