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Reviews FEB-MAR 24 like neuroticism and robust in
strumentation and structure. There are moments when the group lean into one particular aspect of their oeuvre before jumping to the opposite end of their spectrum on the following track which creates an imbalance or uncertainty of identity but (and that is a sizeable but) that is not to say that each track does not stand on its own merits. The opening track ‘Country’ is a marauding melancholic track with a luscious horns accompaniment. It also does one of my own personal favourite tropes of dropping the name of the album as a lyric within a song, rather than a song itself being the namesake of the album (again with the Shins!). The pace shifts massively with the following track ‘Moans’, itself a meandering and dynamic track which brings us to what is for me the highlight of the album in ‘Chuounthry Buoy’, a self-effacing track which utilises the vocal cadence as an additional source of percussion. Another highlight of Ronan Group’s debut offering is ‘Boyfriend’. With its hyperactive drum fills and sputtering guitars it has a spice of Goo favourites Search Results, their own brand of ‘guitar music’ owing much to art rock forerunners The Feelies. Produced by Daniel Fox the I Don’t Want To Be Here is as sure footed as a mountain goat. A diverse and encouraging debut album. EG. Plantoid - Terrapath The cover of this album shows what appears to be an old pulp sci-fi version of an organic space vessel. Ominous but distinctly vintage, it was actually AI generated using Midjourney software and proves prescient, for what Plantoid deals in is authentic jazzinfused, prog rock but with a modern sheen. Opener ‘Is That You?’ has a dreamy, distant quality. As it comes closer there’s a funk to the bassline as singer Chloe Spence’s vocals layer and wash over you before a pause brings a guttural 70’s rock guitar riff. Don’t sit easy listener, Plantoid mean business. Previous single ‘Pressure’ deals with anxiety “I can feel the pressure, it’s burning through my mind” and its whirling pool of heavy rock and soaring vocals only heighten the experience. Their remarkable last single ‘Modulator’ at once sounds the most modern with the tone of the synths but also a proper throwback to a band like Curved Air. ‘Dog’s Life’ would be a great start point. Covering huge ground, Spence’s at times “Cocteau” vocals doing battle with some serious jazz rock in less than four minutes. ‘Wander/ Wonder’ sprinkles a dash of Stereolab then drifts towards Colosseum before making a cosmic soup of the two bands in ‘Insomniac (Don’t worry)’ and letting it all hang out for ‘G.Y. Drift’. Our journey’s end is met with the delicious ‘Softly Speaking’. More subtle and cut from a more modern cloth, it conveys a shared emotional toll “I still feel the pain in my chest”. Magnificent. DC Cat Power Sings Dylan - The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert Cat Power uses the strength of her femininity and her innate understanding of the human condition to write and sing songs that are so deeply heartfelt that it is true to say that they are more than just songs, more than just lyrics and the voice that eases these effervescent gems into existence will undoubtedly make the fault lines in the heart of the listener quake. It is because she leaves it all on the line, gives herself completely in her songwriting, her crystal-clear conveyance of her experience that she is the perfect art. No stranger to challenge, she sets herself a new one by covering an infamous live concert set by a behemoth of modern music. Bob Dylan has chartered the progression of popular music with albums and songs that have become ingrained in musical and political culture in a ceaseless sixty-year career. His songwriting has rarely been equaled in its intelligence and tenacity. Not many artists could do his work justice, but Cat Power brings a natural songwriting sensibility and intuition that allows her to understand the machinations of the magic craft, hereby allowing her the perfect vantage point as to how to approach the vocalisation of these beautiful words, while respecting their shape and form, cadence and intonation. Power has form when it comes to creating cover versions. Her reinterpretations are both odes to the original songs whilst gently absorbing Dylan’s vocal edge and sending back with a voice that must be god-given, such is its purity. These old classics are warmer, lighter and gentler than the originals but, in their delivery, remind us of the compelling and intricate nature of Dylan’s songwriting. ‘I Don’t Believe You’, ‘Just Like A Woman’, ‘One Too Many Mornings’ and every other track on this album are joyous. Words don’t do this album or this inspirational artist justice. AM. Omni - Souvenir Atlanta trio Omni (complete with exDeerhunter guitarist Frankie Broyles) are a curiosity. They lean towards the bands of the original post punk wave that were having a little more fun, like Devo and the B-52’s. On ‘Plastic Pyramid’ there’s a Sugarcubes vibe to the interaction of bassist/vocalPAGE 13