Magic Wands - Aloha Moon
Aloha Moon is one of the unheralded finds of 2012. Magic Wands have an electro sound that is vaguely reminiscent of a lot of artists, but really quite unique. The album starts out softly with The title track and Teenage Love, but really kicks up a gear with Kaleidoscope Heart which follows the format of several of the best songs on the album - a basic catchy beat with great riffs, Soft vocals and a huge powerful sound. Warrior, Wolves and Kaleidoscope Heart are probably the biggest sounding tracks on the album, while there are darker tracks that sound kind of like The XX making electro music (Crystals, Space), and also rockier tracks with a little bit of a Ladyhawke / Muse type feel (Black Magic, Kiss Me Dead). This is really simple effective electronic stuff, a short album which delivers throughout - from a 10 track album I originally marked down 7 as standout tracks.. Excellent stuff.
Top tracks: most of them
Sounds like: Ladyhawke, School Of Seven Bells, Muse, The XX
Graham Coxon - A&E
Since the split of Blur Graham Coxon has gone on to become basically a one-man punk rock outfit, and while Damon Albarn remains in the headlines with acts like Gorillaz, in his own right Coxon has produced some excellent music relatively under the radar. This is slightly more electro than much of his previous stuff, though it is still an album filled with his usual catchy riffs, repetitive lyrics and unmistakable gruff vocals. Highlight tracks for me are 'What'll it take', which is basically a dance track by Coxon standards, and 'Running For Your Life' which is a superb reflection of violent nights out in England, and provides an interesting perspective on the attitude of the youth of the country. An excellent rocker of an album.
Sounds like: Kind of like a punky English Jack White
Top tracks: City Hall, What'll It Take, Seven Naked Valleys, Running For Your Life
8/10
Miike Snow – Happy To You
As you would expect from a group containing very talented producers, Happy To You is a very well produced electro pop album. They use drums and pianos prominently combined with soft vocals, and although there are some slower middling songs on the album which are no better than decent, the highlight tracks are very strong, and pretty dancy. There are some real catchy tunes on Happy To You, particularly Pretender and Paddling Out, the latter of which must be heard as it is without question one of the best tracks of the year so far. A very good offering from a solid electro group.
Sounds like: M83 / Mark Ronson
Top tracks: Pretender, Paddling Out, Devils work
7.5/10
School Of Seven Bells – Ghostory
On this evidence, School Of Seven Bells create an excellent softish electro sound, which approaches beautiful at times. Ghostory is very easy to listen to with strong but soft vocals, and the sound just works well without being poppy or particularly catchy. At times the sound is really like a combination of Ladyhawke and Goldfrapp, and at other times a lot like Bat For Lashes. The album has a very strong start, and in Lafaye the group have created a real highlight which must be one of the best songs of the year so far. There are a couple of slower tracks mid album in Reappear and Show Me Love, but it kicks on again from there and finishes off with a slow builder in When You Sing. Definitely a band to look out for on the live circuit.
Sounds like: Ladyhawke, Goldfrapp, Bat For Lashes
Top tracks: The Night, Lafaye, Low Times, White Wind
8/10
Chairlift - Something
After the first listen 'Something' really sounds like a bit of a collection of random noises wrapped around strong vocals and keyboards, but after listening more you find it actually all hangs together pretty impressively. There are some excellent low-key electro chill out tunes on here, combined with more upbeat 70s / 80s sounding stuff. Chairlift have a somewhat unique electronic sound, and overall this is a very solid album with good flow and particularly easy on the ear vocals.
Sounds like: Bat for lashes crossed with Goldfrapp / Ladyhawke
Top tracks: Wrong opinion, Amanaemonesia, Met Before
7.5/10
Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
You can almost tell how this is going to sound just by the picture on the album cover. Lana Del Rey has an old soulful voice and to me this is very much like a modern indie interpretation of Nancy Sinatra. The music is predominantly dark, rarely upbeat, distinctly trip-hop ish at times, and most of all superbly produced. There is a combination of sounds and a mix of slower songs (Video Games, Blue Jeans) with one or two upbeat tracks (Off To The Races, Diet Mountain Dew). Born To Die is filled with great tunes, there really are no fillers here. This is a superb album, and an excellent sound overall. It could be a modern classic.
Sounds like: Nancy Sinatra, Jefferson airplane vs zero 7 / tricky
Top tracks: Off To The Races, Born To Die, National Anthem, Radio
9/10
