October Album Reviews Roundup
Ten down, two to go. Unbelievably we are already down to the damp, scraggy end of 2009 and it’ll soon be time to start compiling those end of year lists and thinking about who we are going to put the kiss of death on for next year, meanwhile here’s some of what October had to offer.
First up, a couple of moments of quiet beauty from Rachel Grimes and Shelley Short. Rachel Grimes is the pianist from the band Rachel’s, although confusingly the band is not named after her, and ‘Book Of Leaves’ (October 12 on Code7) is in a similar vein to that band’s work although arrangements here are sparser, more stripped down and underpinned by natural noises as opposed to the strings that feature heavily in Rachel’s. This is intensely introspective, contemplative music but is surprisingly engaging and draws the listener in to a world of damp mists, peaceful forests and gentle sadness.
Shelley Short comes at things from a different direction. Having plied her trade on the Portland Alt Country scene for most of the last decade she came to wider audience with her 2006 debut ‘Captain Wild Horse’ and ‘A Cave, A Canoo’ (October 12 on Hush) is now her third full lengther and rather fine it is too. Shelley is the possessor of one of those little-girl-lost kind of voices and uses it to good effect on this set of plaintive, bluegrass tinged songs.
Up next is a hatrick of EPs from Distiller Records. White Belt Yellow Tag’s ‘Remains EP’ (October 19) is probably the pick of the bunch, containing three proper tracks and a couple of remixes of the title track. Formed in Newcastle from the ashes of Yourcodenameis:Milo they produce a dark, brooding indie thing with a dash of the epic and tinges of Krautrock, the cover of the Wedding Present’s ‘Dalliance’ is especially splendid. 
Crossing the country east to west, we have Liverpool’s Sound of Guns and their ‘Elementary Of Youth EP’ (October 26). Described in their press release as ‘a finely tuned musical juggernaut’, I’d say they were more a slightly inarticulated lorry with a sound falling somewhere in to the territory between the rock of The Foo Fighters and terrace indie of Embrace although the last track, ‘Gallentry,’ hints at potential deeper waters running here.
Heading down to the South West now, my hometown of Bristol to be exact, we find The Chemists and their ‘Milk & Honey EP’ (October 26). The title track is a pounding, high energy affair with the kind of throb Josh Homme would be proud of, but it’s the second track, ‘Close Your Eyes’ that leaves me eagerly anticipating the album that these songs are lifted from. A more slow-burning number, it really explores the range of singer Jonny Benn’s vocals and with the refrain of ‘Struck them all down with a claw hammer, claw hammer’ it really grabs the attention.
And now for something completely different. ‘Wolvves’ by Eaststrikewest is an intriguing pack of beasts. Opening track ‘God Can’t Take His Eyes Off Me’ (October 12 on 30 Days Of Night) is utterly awesome. A soaring, spirraling, building instrumental it raises the listener to a state of heightened expectation to such a level that what comes after feels like something of a letdown. Like an over-excited schoolboy in a whorehouse, this album spuffs it’s stuff too quickly and what remains is never going to be as good as those giddy first few moments. That’s not to say it’s not a good album, not by a long way, it just never quite lives up to it’s opening promise. Sublime musician ship is matched by soaring ambition on a number of tracks, ‘Stumble’, ‘The Architect’ and ‘Electricity’ stand out, that remind me of Muse before they disappeared up their own bottoms.
Finally, changing tack completely again, is Burnley’s Gaunt Story and their debut album ‘This Gaunt Story’ (October 26 on Ocarina). They achieve something special on this record by taking a set of downbeat, melancholic songs and somehow make them sound uplifting, a neat trick if you can do it. Their sound is interesting, a kind of post-folk with acoustic guitars accompanied by electronics and keyboards but quite different to the Nu Folk of Tunng and the like. An accomplished debut set and one’s to keep an eye on methinks.