The Goo 1
MAR '25 Ultan O’ Brian - Dancing The Line - Adham
h O’Caoimh Nyaah Records, responsible for bringing us the rich sonic tapestries of Natalia Beylis, the cathartic gloom of One Leg One Eye and the ecstatic joy of Mohammad Syfkhan, returns with a characteristically vital album of fiddle music from modern virtuoso, Ultan O’ Brian. This remarkable record collects a number of rare, traditional tunes alongside brilliant original compositions, utilizing alternate fiddle tunings, facilitating complex drones and deeper resonances that carry the songs beautifully. Rian Trench’s dry, woody production highlights O’Brian’s mastery of the instrument, with percussion provided by the sounds of renowned dancer Nic Gareiss, and accordion from Martin Green rounded out by subtle electronics and field recordings. This album at once brings to mind living legends like Martin Hayes with shades of my own personal hero, Warren Ellis, and is another jewel in the studded crown of Nyaahs sterling output. Abdomen - Yes, I Don’t Know - David Carr Part of an outstanding wave of Dutch acts including Tramhaus, Personal Trainer, Library Card and Pip Blom, the trio of Abdomen are probably the heaviest and this is a pounding debut album. Opener ‘Damage Tool’ launches at you aggressively and you may need to believe in the tracks’ refrain “im alone i aint scared”. On ‘Numbers’ a guttural bassline and frenetic drums sustain the attack. Lead Single ‘Dazed’ features a riff on a Nirvana lyric “take your time, hurry up, choice is yours, don’t fuck up” evolving into a splendid swirl of guitars with a psych tinged chorus. ‘Yes, I Don’t Know’ is incessant and repetitive, singer Peter Van Beets screams “I can’t turn around”, the metronomic drive of the track means the paranoia and intensity curve ever upward. It’s dense. On ‘Good Vibes’ “I’m the cloud, you’re the sun” is repeated in an infinite loop and together with the grungy guitars and deliberate bass you’ll get a wave of Nirvana, this time musically, and it’s just like sliding into a warm bath of magnificent nostalgia. The bombastic ‘Exhale’ features an almost demonic crescendo with Van Beets crying “I Exhale”, it’s just so enormous. This is a relentless album taking the sounds of grunge, punk and psych and adding a dollop of frenzy to create a showcase of amazing tracks. Kathryn Mohr - Waiting Room - David Carr The Oakland-based musician took a leaf out of Loma’s book and disappeared to a vacant dwelling to record this album, in this case a former fish packing plant in eastern Iceland. In a windowless room lit only by the bulbs that feature on the album artwork, the isolation, and how that must play on the mind, winds through the fabric of this ghostly album. Far more analogue after her previous synth heavy cassette releases, an acoustic guitar provides much of the impetus. Her vocals fall from her mouth, tentatively released in somewhat similar fashion to Stina Nordenstam. Her style of using field recordings allows for some clever filtering but also creates an uncertainty in the listen. Were they intentionally used or were the mysterious otherworldly sounds captured fleetingly in the darkness? On ‘Driven’ Kathryn leans into the concept with the vocals treated and reversed so it sounds more like speaking in tongues. ‘Take It’ is arguably the most conventional track though only in the sense that it mimics Kristen Hersh. ‘Elevator’ delivers a wall of fuzz like indie upstarts Julie. The title track closes this brilliantly ambitious album crushing you with its density of sound. 11