One half of iamthemorning, Marjana Semkina's vocal brilliance will be known to anyone who has ever listened to the chamber pop act. Now based in London having left her native Russia, she is outspoken about the country and their politics, a staunch and active anti-occupation of Ukraine campaigner she has raided thousands of pounds to support Ukrainians living in the conflict, using Kickstarter to generate a portion of the revenue of this second solo album to anti-occupation charities, something that would see her imprisoned in Russia.
So Marjana now is a woman without a country, telling her tales through her music. Her solo music sharing similarities to iamthemorning but more akin with the dark folk of Tori Amos, Björk and Kate Bush. Sirin is her second solo full length album and it's drenched in grief, told through Slavic fairy tales trying to find some sort of hope, as Sirin is an omen for death and bad luck, so it's Marjana who paints herself as the "bird of sorrow" on this new record.
Sparse but layered compositions sees Marjana's haunting, ethereal vocal and deft acoustic guitar joined by pulsing electronics, a string quartet that brought tears on Gone. There's also a band comprised of drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), bassist Charlie Cawood (Medieval Baebes, Knifeworld), guitarists Liam McLaughlin (Sithu Aye, IATM) and Vlad Avy as Grigoriy Losenkov adds piano and bass. Their contribution is understated but vital to the beauty of this album, just compare Pygmalion and Angel Street, you'll see without that vocal it could be two different bands.
It's the vocal here that is what raises the hair on the back of your neck though, duetting with Jim Grey of Caligula's Horse on the spatial ballad Anything But Sleep as Antimatter's Mick Moss adds his sombre tones on Death And The Maiden. Sirin brings sorrow through emotive, evocative songwriting and virtuoso performances. A beautiful record. 9/10
Laughing Stock – Shelter (Apollon Records)
In a wave of dreamy psychedelia Shelter the sixth album by Norwegian band Laughing Stock begins. A concept album about the organization Shelter, not the UK homeless charity but a fictional place where you can live at one with nature, a society based on happiness, love and peace, no whether this is a hippie fantasy or a cult, the band seem to move more towards the former, creating a dreamy, natural soundscape for the these lofty utopian ideals.
The trio of Håvard Enge, Jan Erik Kirkevold Nilsen, and Jan Mikael Sørensen, perform the sort of music that is classed as part of the ‘Canterbury Scene’ the likes of Camel, Caravan, Renaissance and Gentle Giant with Jethro Tull and early Genesis brought in through the use of flute (Morten Clason), trumpet (Terje Johannesen), on The Flood particularly. You know it’s the kind of music Michael Akerfeldt of Opeth loves, the sort that is on double vinyl taking the listener closer to the natural world.
Folksy passages of acoustics float by on Roots Go Deep where Anders Buaas has the intricate guitar solo. The Flood that I mentioned earlier also has quite a high profile guest appearing on it, Tim Bowness of No-Man appears to lend his vocals, doing so too on non LP bonus track/single Memories. Delicate strings, lilting melodies, wind instruments, classical prog leanings and moments of darkness and distortion, Shelter forms an audio journey from darkness of the modern age into a simpler time. 8/10
Conflict Choir - Strange Game (Self Released)
Well this is something that I didn't expect. Ali Clinton and Jack Bowles are session players, having worked with artists from The Scorpions, Whitesnake, Ocean Colour Scene and many more. So they have a wealth of experience in the music industry, experience which they have turned into their own band Conflict Choir.
Experimenting with sonic journeys and layers upon layers of musical nuance, this two piece play a thrilling mix of alternative, psychedelic and progressive rock that has chittering electronics and swathes of gorgeous synths, thick riffy grooves and atmospheric guitar playing.
The theme of the album is about our struggles with technology, mental health and distrust between the world, the duo utilising their expansive musical repertoire alongside Thomas Atlas and Greg Chandler to record Strange Game their debut full length.
The inspirations are listed as Jeff Buckley, Steven Wilson and Pink Floyd, all three luring me into listening to the album, which kicks off with the dreamy title track, multiple vocal tracks that leads into the jangling fuzzy rock of What Are You Doing It For as Don't Let Me Drown blends The Beatles with Pink Floyd (Gilmour version), Algorithm too has a sense of the ethereal as it glides into Til The End for the finale.
The vocals are brilliant, emotive and dreamy on I Feel Fine, which also has some soaring Gilmour-like guitar playing as Only One has the Steven Wilson build and release, while Wake Up is some heavy psych rock. So as you can read there's plenty going on musically, it's progressively played by accessibility minded, tracks such as The Real Thing made for radio play.
No conflict from me, I love Strange Game, already looking forward to more. 9/10
Enquire Within - Elysium (Self Relesed)
Enquire Within's second album ReBirth was given a 7/10 by Mr Hutchings back when it was released. A solid score that showed there talent that was on offer from this UK metal crew. Fast forward to 2023 and on the back of single Point Of No Return the London band took up every support show they could to get themselves noticed.
Conflict Choir - Strange Game (Self Released)
Well this is something that I didn't expect. Ali Clinton and Jack Bowles are session players, having worked with artists from The Scorpions, Whitesnake, Ocean Colour Scene and many more. So they have a wealth of experience in the music industry, experience which they have turned into their own band Conflict Choir.
Experimenting with sonic journeys and layers upon layers of musical nuance, this two piece play a thrilling mix of alternative, psychedelic and progressive rock that has chittering electronics and swathes of gorgeous synths, thick riffy grooves and atmospheric guitar playing.
The theme of the album is about our struggles with technology, mental health and distrust between the world, the duo utilising their expansive musical repertoire alongside Thomas Atlas and Greg Chandler to record Strange Game their debut full length.
The inspirations are listed as Jeff Buckley, Steven Wilson and Pink Floyd, all three luring me into listening to the album, which kicks off with the dreamy title track, multiple vocal tracks that leads into the jangling fuzzy rock of What Are You Doing It For as Don't Let Me Drown blends The Beatles with Pink Floyd (Gilmour version), Algorithm too has a sense of the ethereal as it glides into Til The End for the finale.
The vocals are brilliant, emotive and dreamy on I Feel Fine, which also has some soaring Gilmour-like guitar playing as Only One has the Steven Wilson build and release, while Wake Up is some heavy psych rock. So as you can read there's plenty going on musically, it's progressively played by accessibility minded, tracks such as The Real Thing made for radio play.
No conflict from me, I love Strange Game, already looking forward to more. 9/10
Enquire Within - Elysium (Self Relesed)
Enquire Within's second album ReBirth was given a 7/10 by Mr Hutchings back when it was released. A solid score that showed there talent that was on offer from this UK metal crew. Fast forward to 2023 and on the back of single Point Of No Return the London band took up every support show they could to get themselves noticed.
This constant performing has made sure that their new EP Elysium takes that snarling live sound and lays it down on record. Like the previous single it's highlighting a new wrinkle to their sound, shifting more towards groove/thrash than their previous releases, they've gotten heavier than they ever where, the confidence just dripping off them.
To record Elysium the band found themselves in Joplin Studios with Dan Lucas to record, they managed to get Howard H Smith of Acid Reign to add his skills to Seeds Of Destruction but the foursome of Dan (guitarist), Henry (drummer) Jacob (vocals) and Erim (bass) really raise their game here but never move to far out of the influence of Machine Head, Slipknot and the like. If you like your metal ready to start pits then Enquire Within and ask about their their 7 track circle pit deal! 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment