Echoes and dust

So, another thirty days have come and gone already and here we are with our roundup of the records that have piled up in the office this month without getting the benefit of a full review:

First up is the first album in three years from those musical chameleons Tortoise (am I getting my reptiles too mixed there?). They’ve always had a leaning towards the things that go bleep, but ‘Beacons Of Ancestorship’ (June 22 on Thrill Jockey) is probably their most out and out IDM album to date. Gone are the jazz stylings of the early albums in favour of some grooving beats and trancy synths. Hardcore Tortoisers may not appreciate that sound as much as an old clubber like myself, but I found it rather entertaining. It takes a few tracks to really get going, and second track ‘Prepare Your Coffin’ is perhaps the weakest track the band has ever put their name to – pure lift muzak, but from ‘Northern Something’ onwards it really explores some interesting post-clubbing territory.

There’s something really rather refreshing about Leeds’ The Dharma, whose self released record is available through Crash Records. In this time of eighties retro synths, angular haircuts and silly sunglasses it’s great to hear a band take things back to basics and produce some good honest rock ‘n’ roll. From the moment ‘Yes, I Play Guitar’ stomps out of the speakers through to the point ‘The Forgotten’ crashes to a close this six track mini album / EP is a breathless rush of catchy tunes and great lyrics. The boys will be touring hard in anticipation of their debut album in early 2010, so look out for them.

We don’t usually review singles at Echoes And Dust, a time and resource issue not anything against singles as a concept, but Loqui asked so nicely I said we’d give a mention to the ‘Hermes Pan’ debut single that’s out July 13. It starts out vaguely reminiscent of The Wedding Present but about two thirds of the way through suddenly strikes out in to territories unknown with a guitar driven wig-out overlaid with boy / girl harmonies. Oh, and there’s an a capella version on the single that sounds like The Flying Pickets on acid, great fun!

‘Haunt The Upper Hallways’ by The Declining Winter (June 29 On Home Assembly Music) is exactly what you’d expect it to be from the title, an album of darkly beautiful, slightly unsettling, slowburn songs. The DecliningWinter is the brainchild of Richard Adams, formally of nineties indie experimentalists Hood, and sees him further exploring the places that his former band once ventured in to. Using an array of interesting instruments Adams creates something that is at once unique and compelling.

Sad Day For Puppets are Sweden’s contribution to the Nu Wave Of Shoegaze^tm, but this is not the nerdy boy, serious end of shoegaze, this is the deliciously poppy, catchy, hooky end of shoegaze. ‘Unknown Colours’ (June 01 on Sonic Cathedral) is a positive confectioner’s delight of sugary tunes underpinned by a familiar wash of fuzzy guitar. Opening track ‘Little Light’ could be straight out of Lush’s back catalogue while ‘Blue Skies’ is pure Slowdive. As with The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart and the like, it’s both hugely derivative and utterly captivating to someone like me who was a massive fan of this genre the first time around.

I’ve left this last one until last for a reason. While I’ve been writing all of the above I’ve been wracking my brains to think of some intelligent words to describe the achingly intelligent music that is ‘Sycamore’ (August 18 on Thrill Jockey) by David Daniell and Douglas McCombs and here they are: enthralling, discombobulating, fascinating, labyrinthine and eerie. Other than that, it’s almost impossible to put down on paper the listening experience of this record. McCombs is a sometime member of Tortoise and Daniell has played with the likes of Thurston Moore, so that gives you an idea of the level of talent we’re dealing with here. This is a seriously complex record that needs careful and repeated listening but rewards amply for the effort.