Kill The Captains

EP

Four track EP from Sheffield noisy rock quartet Kill The Captains has three 2 1/2 to 3 minute sound bombs and the longer, live favourite "Fun Anxiety" to close. Ensuring great production by using Messrs Smyth and Sanderson at 2Fly this impressive debut offering by the hard gigging Captains hits you in face from the feedback intro on opener "Bottom Lip" with its edgy guitars through the pacey "Chrunt" with its God complex references onto the laid back lullaby "Long In The Tooth" with hints of Morrissey in the vocals. The closer though, the aforementioned "Fun Anxiety", is the one that does it for me with bassy intro, heavier beat and understated vocals. It's a journey of nearly 7 minutes with a mixture of some offbeat guitar and great stickwork, strangely divorced from the other demos songs but a great track as the closer of a live set.

Sean Bruce

Dartz

The Sad History of Alnerique

This band reminds me of Tofu and home grown tomatoes. With every song ending in a message about reclaiming the land and enjoying the meadows it all gets a bit annoying for someone who prefers The Clash to the Mamas and the Papas. The concept behind the EP is great – writing songs about a history of a weird village but this positive message isn't supported by their music. Repetitive would be an understatement, each song begins with the sharp guitar strums similar to The Good Shoes but without the song writing ability. First song, 'The Arrival, building Alnerique' introduces the monotonous melody as to which the rest of the album follows. Track 2, 'Oskar and Ofelia' develops the slightly odd story, "They tied a noose and charged into the meadow", and still manages to sound very much like the first song in terms of melody and dodgy vocals. Two instrumentals randomly placed in the middle of the album fail to impress as it all seems a bit egotistical and pointless with no real progression in the tracks apart from continuous strumming. Not wanting to complete slate anyone who gives making a music a go, the third track on the album, 'A New Venture form Mordecai & Sons', is an upbeat summer song which shows potential and talent within the band if only they'd cheer up a bit. Following the same musical sound as Biffy Clyro and Bloc Party this song is a shining light in what is a dull album. But, for people who enjoy this kind of thing then you'll probably love it but if you like your music fast, melodic and current then stay away from these lot.

Ella Byford

I Am Three

EP

I Am Three are following the path blazed the Ben Folds Five, and Blake's Seven by including a totally irrelevant and misleading number in their name. As you might suspect there are not three but two of them. They are also subverting traditional ideas of touring by dispensing with all that sound check / setting up / booking gigs malarkey, and have been turning up at your local Starbucks or similar and begging to be allowed to play. They've played museums, shops, restaurants all over Europe, and here we can sample six of their acoustic gems, recorded as live without overdubs in studios in Salford and Manchester. And pretty impressive they are too. They have a way with their simple melodies and words of getting inside your head, as only a singer / guitar / double bass can do. Expect them to accompany your next cappuccino.

Vivian Bonzo

Inukshuk

Morning Lights

Inukshuk are a new four piece based in Nottingham, and were formed when vocalist Matt Rai returned from Canada and decided to take his solo career to what he has called 'the next level.' The songs put me in mind of the criminally unappreciated and much missed Martin Grech, with their epic, vast sounds, and hypnotic guitar and piano phrases. The songs never stray too near to being anthemic, rescued by searing distorted guitars or a guttural drum beat. The six tracks here take the listener on a rollercoaster ride starting with the bombast and gothic indulgence of Paint, and ending with the lower than lo-fi, almost front-room recording of Filter. This is a talent to be reckoned with, and if they can survive the birth pangs of a newly formed group, I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to hear them play some live gigs around the region.

Chris Xenra

Juno Ashes

The City At Night

I was full of curiosity and wonder, hoping to hear something quite great after the opening 30 seconds of the The City At Night E.P. unfortunately after the next 30 seconds I became rather pessimistic as to what else awaited me. There is a lot of potential in the songs of Juno Ashes that is why they frustrate so much, each track begins very promisingly but somehow unforgivably fails. Their sound owes much to the mid 1990's, opener Can You Find Me takes influence from Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' so much in fact that you expect to hear Buckley's eloquently angelic vocals enter the fray, their subsequent absence compounds the disappointment when you are treated to a dull rock drone which sounds like it is being echoed from a watery cave. Next song 'Spires' sounds like Radiohead era 'Bends', but yet again falls short when the singing begins and it becomes more apparent that Juno Ashes are unfortunately never going to create the emphatic stadium sound they long to achieve with their current vocalist. 'Up From The Streets' is quite magical in parts and I actually found myself waiting for the singing to stop so the guitar riff could return, it is almost worth the wait but not quite. Last song 'The City At Night' engages your attention with enchanting keyboard and guitar riffs backed by a pounding rhythm section that meanderingly fades away to remind you that there are many positives about Juno Ashes but also some rather significant negatives.

Iain Ferry

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