TD 1
AUDIO Killian Barry Zara Hedderman Andrew Lambert
Sophia McDonald Danny Wilson Bill Callahan Gold Record [Drag City] Stryper Even the Devil Believes [Avalon] When word spreads of new material from Bill Callahan, one of the finest songwriters of his generation, it’s like sunshine flooding a room on a winter morning. Over a career spanning 30 years and two monikers (Smog for 14 LPs between 1990 and 2005 before returning to his birth-name for 2007’s tremendous Woke On A Whaleheart) Callahan’s wry witticisms, delivered in his distinct baritone, are as sharp as ever, although their lacerating edge has been smoothed for a more rounded overview of his fellow man. That doesn’t mean Gold Record, his 18th release, is without hilariously scathing sentiments. Protest Song is a prime example, featuring a tear-down of a faux-folk troubadour on a latenight show (“Oh my god / His songs are Lies”). Countering Callahan’s sass are exquisite songs Pigeons which sees him slip into the role of a wistful limo driver transporting smitten newlyweds and The Mackenzies. Lyrically and tonally, these tracks will leave listeners misty-eyed as he conveys sentimentality with subtle textures floating throughout minimal soundscapes. Accompanying his acoustic guitar are sublime sprinklings of synth, pedal steel and brushed percussion to create gorgeously textured arrangements. Elsewhere, Callahan strips the meat off the carcass with a jovial finger-picked rendition of Lets Move To The Country, from Smog’s Knock Knock (1999). A densely storied and beautifully told record, certainly one of Bill Callahan’s best. ZH Like This? Try These: Mickey Newbury - An American Trilogy Fred Neil - Bleecker & McDougal Dougie Poole - The Freelancer’s Blues Resisting the march of time by studiously ignoring it, this bombastic serving of hair metal histrionics is a portal to the era of Reaganomics and Rubik’s Cubes. It’s now 37 years since Stryper’s formation, 30 since they became charmingly unfashionable. True to form, the Californian sexagenarians use arena-rock riffs to noisily espouse their Christian faith, taking the notion of exalting one’s influences to the next level. Michael Sweet’s voice is in surprisingly fine fettle, power chords land with gusto, and the hair remains glorious. For these creationist dinosaurs, the crusade continues. KB The Killers Imploding The Mirage [Island] The Killers are well aware of what they do best, and on Imploding the Mirage they lay down a fantastic set of synth rock bangers with the assured skill befitting a band of their now veteran status. Brandon Flowers and co. have not so shyly leaned into the showier elements of their image in recent years, and this self-aware extravagance translates surprisingly well to record as the Vegas quartet go balls out on a bombastic, stadium-sized, Springsteen tribute across ten barnstorming tracks. AL The Flaming Lips American Head [Bella Union] IDLES Ultra Mono [Partisan] It’s taken some thirty-odd years and sixteen albums for The Flaming Lips to write songs rooted in and reflective of their experience growing up in Oklahoma. American Head is filled with American themes often associated with counterculture (psychedelic drugs, kids going off to war) delivered via arrangements awash with sublime ‘70s slide guitar and Americana motifs. Kacey Musgraves lends her gorgeous vocals, giving a spellbinding performance. Overall, this LP is amongst The Flaming Lips most captivating works; a thoroughly engaging and accessible record. ZH The red-blooded punk of IDLES encounters diminishing returns on Ultra Mono as the Bristolians clumsily attempt to get political on their uneven third record. The result is a protest album that’s about as subtle as a brick, and while there’s still plenty of grit and skill in the throttling guitar riffs of Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan, the thrilling shockwave of the band’s high octane instrumental work wears thin when coupled with Joe Talbot’s obnoxious, ultra-woke sermonizing. AL Now Open 29 South Anne St, Dublin 2 Tel. 01 531 4491 56