Mac Review Number 12

O. T. W – Enid Blitz
The website resembles a blitz of sorts, luckily the music doesn’t. Having released two self financed EP’s, which include such summary shocks as “Day To Day”, with a obvious knack for tune addiction, and “Doctor Doctor”, which is a jaggy slag of refreshment in a humdrum society of blandness. A four piece, with an obsession from the stony seaside of Brighton, Enid Blitz include several strings to their arsenal of weapons.

They have quirkiness, something that says fuck it, we’re good, almost like it’s meant to happen. The beauty and the solitude encapsulated in the vocals alongside the happiness in the tunes seem somewhat at odds, yet it’s modest, and almost makes you want to decamp and move along the coast to Brighton. It seems like its happening and with Enid Blitz, it should be happening really soon.


Album Reviews

Manic Street Preachers – Send Away the Tigers
Nicky, Nicky, shouted a fan girl, much is granted in rock music, and however the Wire’s attire is not. Is ‘Send Away the Tigers’, a fake, a phoney, well not quite. The title track sweeps with aplomb, and the two rocky fuckers ‘Imperial Bodybags’, and ‘Rendition’, retain some bite whilst adding humour. This is however not quite the return to the past, more a fill between ‘Everything Must Go’ & ‘Generation Terrorists’, it seems to hit the high as well as the low notes, but it’s solid, it’s blatant, it’s dumb punk fun, and they are loving it, and who can begrudge these eldest rockers that. 8/10

Help She Can’t Swim – The Death of Nightlife
Swimming aimlessly around for a few years, this Brighton four piece are still young enough, yet they return with much of the same. However unlike the debut, ‘The Death of Nightlife’ fits more in tune with today’s scene. “Pass the Hat Around” gives a maudlin feel to the opener, and “Think the Tapes Stopped” is a brilliant sarcastic duet between the two vocalists. They are still angsty, still entertaining, and the break has done them well. 7/10

Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
Since Want 1 & Want 2, Rufus has become quite the name, through his outlandish style to the sentiments settled on the previous two albums, Wainwright has along with his sister, exploded upon an unexpected but excited public. And so “Release The Stars” arrives with something of a change, gone are the misjudged lyrics and arrive are tunes, and tunes plenty. An attack on social America seems to flow throughout, yet the demanding Wainwright seems to fashion every song to include something, nothing seems filler, its beauty is arched in sadness, and this is a true American living in today’s society. 9/10

Battles – Mirrored
A progression from the EP’s of last year, Battles have stepped up and delivered one of the weirdest yet melodic albums of the year, tracks such as ‘Race: In’, set a rather fierce, almost obtuse angle to the record while recoiling in the shadows are pieces like “Bad Trails”. It lacks little, yet you sometimes wonder if too much is happening, however, a few listens and you believe the substance out numbers the worry, per se it’s quality wanes slightly in certain area’s, but Mirrored is ingenious of it’s time, subtle yet heavy, heartfelt yet lost, beautiful yet messy. Genius. 8/10

Yacht – I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real
The album kicks off with a very sublime Andrew Bird style song, however that’s were the similarities end. Electro/funk/beats, and dare I say rock music appears on this, an ecliptic mix of styles. If Mika had idea’s and talent this is something what he could achieve, in fact you sometimes wonder upon staring at the CD inlay, if in fact it is Mika, however it isn’t, it’s quality, Radio 2 wouldn’t dare play this. 7/10