erasing clouds
 

8 Music Reviews

Aid & Manipulator Alligator, Sleeping Bag (Sanitary Records)

Matthew Hoppock deserves a lot of credit. Not only does the man play and record as Manipulator Alligator, but he also runs Sanitary Records, goes to law school, and still has time for his family. Incredible, to say the least. Sleeping Bag is a lovingly crafted split EP between Matthew and his friend Aid. Trading off every other track works well to keep things varied, but it needn’t have been necessary. As Matthew says, “This recording moves both Manipulator Alligator and Aid into new territories in sound.” And Manipulator Alligator’s tracks are indeed better recorded, written, and orchestrated than his previous releases, as in the double-tracked glitch of “I Will Lie Down” or the perfect “From the Start” and “Peace, Love, and Charity”. Aid I’d never heard before. He works what at first seems like familiar, emotional lo-fi ground, but throws in enough surprises to distinguish himself admirably. The tambourine and harmony in “Mexico”; the keyboard-guitar interplay in “Flying to the Sun”; the unexpected guitar lick in “Needs”; and the weird electro of “Oh, We Have the Same Shoes” that was stuck in my head for days, all push in more directions than your average home-taper. Sleeping Bag: get into it! – nadav carmel

The Apple Orchard, A Hiding Smile 7” (Humblebee)

Did you know that there’s a fledgling indie-pop scene in the Philippines? Brothers Ryan and Dale Marquez, originally from Manila but now based out of California, offer up a quintessential dose of mid-fi pop on their first 7”, following some comp appearances and cassettes. From the beautifully hazy cover image, to the effortlessly breezy songs within, this single would have fit perfectly on Sarah Records. Title track “A Hiding Smile” is prime jangle; the acoustic guitar on “Bright City Lights” can only be called pretty; and “Midnight Stars & Kisses”, with its lazy bass groove, recalls the Lucksmiths on Naturaliste. A perfect single! – nadav carmel

Grace Braun, The Gabrielle Tapes (self-released)

Grace Braun, frontwoman of Georgia’s DQE, is one of the great unsung heroines of rock and roll. Here she covers songs by Nick Drake and Jackson C. Frank (a contemporary of and influence on Drake), as well as some of her own tunes, to incredible result. Despite the mellow acoustic vibe, it’s refreshing to hear such a strong voice covering this source material, making the songs her own. Grace shines brightest, though, on her four contributions to the album. When she sings, “I try,” you not only feel it, but believe it; and when she sings, “It won’t hurt,” it doesn’t. With proceeds going to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, you really can’t go wrong with this one. – nadav carmel

Colin Clary, Darling on a Landline (Sanitary Records)

Consider yourself unlucky if you don’t know Colin Clary. Not because he’s a pop genius (which he is), but because he’s one of the most genuinely nice people you’re ever likely to meet. A veteran of innumerable releases with some of the genuinely nicest pop bands around (the Smittens, the Magogs, etc., etc.), this four-song, five-minute solo cassingle contains some of Colin’s best stuff yet. Earnest but not precious, lo-fi but not fragile, and just as adept at wordplay as the Lucksmiths, it’s perfectly precise, laser-guided indie-pop. If lines like, “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut so I can listen / I’ll watch your lips and block out thoughts like / ‘Hey we could be kissing’” turn you on, then cop this tape (the first in Sanitary Records’ awesome cassingle series), consider yourself lucky, and give Colin a call on your landline. (And look for other limited tapes by Saturday Looks Good to Me, Wolf Tracks, and more!) – nadav carmel

Dogme 95, The Reagle Beagle (Empyrean)

Nick Wright’s second album spins a fictional tale of himself on Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle. The sticker on the front proclaims it, “Primitive, unique, and challenging.” In the spirit of scientific inquiry, let’s examine these hypotheses one by one. Primitive? Hardly. The word conjures images of a romanticized and untrue historical ideal, and unless maybe you compare it the production style of Phil Elverum, there’s certainly nothing primitive about The Reagle Beagle. And it’s a compact disc for goodness sake! Though an acoustic album, it was obviously multi-tracked, and probably recorded digitally. Unique? Sure. The songs rest on a novel premise, but one that doesn’t wear thin. There’s nothing weird about the instrumentation or Nick’s voice, but I can’t think of anyone else who really sounds like this. Challenging? Far from it. Despite the campfire melodies occasionally being buried under too many vocal tracks, at heart, The Reagle Beagle is eminently enjoyable and instantly hummable. So one out of three ain’t bad. Take it on proof or take it on faith, this is a great album. – nadav carmel

Elekibass, Welcome Wonderful World (Happy Happy Birthday to Me)

Before I knew what indie-pop was, I asked a friend of mine what he’d been listening to. “Pop,” he said, with awe in his voice. When pressed further, he mentioned Of Montreal, whose influence on Japan’s Elekibass is undeniable. I was never able to get into Of Montreal, though; their sound was too unabashedly twee, even for me. But as their albums caught up to the present, and their live shows leapfrogged ahead to the future (robotic arms practically reach out and shake your ass for you), I came around. Anyway, Elekibass sound like a cross between Of Montreal circa the late 90s, and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the band from the Muppet Show. Live, they lean towards the latter, with a manic energy they have yet to capture in the studio (the album’s live bonus tracks don’t come close to hinting at this, unfortunately); on Welcome Wonderful World, they sound like the The Gay Parade with more kazoos. Still, the band is so damn enthusiastic that you can’t help but get swept up in the fun, and the Engrish singing is so charming you can’t help but be won over. Fans of Of Montreal or the salad days of Elephant 6 won’t be disappointed. – nadav carmel

Land of Ill Earthquakes, self-titled (self-released)

On their all-too-brief debut EP, Southern California seven-piece Land of Ill Earthquakes has the Phil Spector thing down. Like DIY pop masters Saturday Looks Good to Me and the Aislers Set, and Swedish newcomer Heikki, LIE raids the Motown vaults but still comes out with a sound uniquely their own. Similar to the kitchen-sink spirit of Architecture in Helsinki, off-kilter melodies swoop playfully, and the songs don’t go where you expect them to go. From the killer glockenspiel on “Long Winter” and the horns on “12th Time” and “Acres of Fakers”, to the punky “Riding High” and “There’s Nothing To It”, even the melancholy tunes have a thrilling exuberance. First efforts don’t get much better than this. It’s limited, so pick it up while you still can, and look for a sequel and vinyl reissue in the future. – nadav carmel

Faris Nourallah, Near The Sun: The Best Songs of Faris Nourallah (Green UFOs)

Does the world really need another thin-voiced, Beatles-influenced singer/songwriter? At first listen, the answer is, “No, I’d rather listen to Elliot Smith.” But once you listen again (and you will, because the songs will be running through your head constantly after just that first listen), you’ll change your mind and flagellate yourself for being so wrong. That every sterling track on the album was played and recorded by Faris alone is nothing short of amazing, and that each one is catchy and emotionally complex (despite at times simple lyrics) is equally remarkable. The synthesizer plays a central role in most of the songs, but never becomes the defining characteristic; the overall effect is more like a Tex-Mex version of the Kinks. Near The Sun is supposed to represent Nourallah’s poppiest moments, but the album has me wanting to dig deeper. – nadav carmel


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