Blog: Oya Festival - Day One

(Originally published on The Fly)

A trip to the Edvard Munch Museum, just a stones throw from the festival site, provides a morning of screams to kick off proceedings. What feels like the opening of the festival is actually the second day, with the first day proper being dedicated to Norwegian acts only. However, on the festival site, the local talents must feel somewhat overshadowed by the juggernauts flown in from Britain and America to headline each day.

If you have £12 in Norweigan Krone to your name, you can do worse than pick up an Illegal Burger for on-site lunch. £9 in Krone will get you a pint of local lager to go with it too. “Festival prices” are a sore subject in the UK, but in Norway they are on another level.

As the majority of punters leisurely basked in the late afternoon sun, Dominic Maker and Kai Campos of Mount Kimbie got down to business. Keeping a hot and bothered afternoon festival crowd entertained for almost an hour was always going to be a stretch, and at times it felt like the heat had sapped all energy from the crowd. However, the final hurrah of of “Made to Stray” followed by “Carbonated” made sure band and crowd alike left the set in a state of sweaty glee.

In comparison to the heaving masses running around the festival site in Tame Impala t-shirts, the turnout for the band’s set on the main stage was surprisingly low. Probably owing to a poorly-timed clash with Wu-Tang clan, the band find themselves playing to a crowd barely half the size of their giant Hammersmith Apollo London only a month before. Despite this, the boys play through first and second album tracks in far tighter and more enjoyable manner than their meandering, five-minute long jams that they’ve been favouring so far this year. The setlist was given a much-needed shake-up too, and finishing with ‘Apocalypse Dreams’ gathered the biggest cheer of the night from the crowd, small as it may have been.

At the second stage, DJ Mathmatics warmed up the crowd for Wu-Tang’s arrival, and was greeted with a sea of W-hand signs from a crowd that eclipsed any others that the day had seen so far. Slowly, the clan began to fill the stage, starting with founder member the RZA, followed by the likes of Ghostface Killah and Rakewon. However, it wasn’t until Method Man arrived three songs in that things took a turn from the hedonistic to pure brilliance. 

With a presence like no other in hip-hop (as hard as others try) the man born Clifford Smith borders unbelievable arrogance to whip punters into a frenzy. It works though, and Wu-Tang powered through their greatest hits to a rapturous reception, including a tribute to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

The evening was leading up to a headline set from Blur, a band that have been back on the festival scene for so long now that it’s become increasing difficult to believe they were ever away. A slow start left the band looking slightly miffed, in stark contrast to the 50,000 screaming every word back at them in Hyde Park last year, but it’s hard to know how much of Damon’s cockney drawl makes it through the language barrier. Thankfully, the horde watching on ballooned with each song, as people joined from across the park to witness a spectacular tail end to the show. Finishing on “Song 2” ensured everyone left the park singing from the same page, regardless of nationality.

Review: Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle

Laura Marling’s progression since 2008’s Alas I Cannot Swim has seen her develop into one of the most accomplished songwriters of her time. Where her early friends and bandmates have burst through and conquered the mainstream charts (Mumford and Sons, Noah and the Whale, you may have heard of them), Laura has steadily grown to be one of the most adored yet relatively unknown talents of the folk industry.
In 2011 Laura released her third album, A Creature I Do Not Know. It was a triumphant album, one that saw Laura finally embrace her folkstress status and eschew the “indie nu-folk” label that stuck around through her first two efforts. It was an album riddled with stories, metaphors and characters. Once I was an Eagle is a different story altogether. Where Laura’s favoured metaphor and storytelling in the past, she’s flinchingly honest now.
In When Were You Happy, Laura sings “I find the more I think the harder it is to breathe.” In Love Be Brave she sings “How did I sleep at night, with you so far from my side?” In Saved These Words she sings “Thank-you naivety for failing me again.” The album reads like a diary entry, the most personal songwriting Laura’s showcased since 2010’s Blackberry Stone. Whilst she’s more than capable of telling a story, and knows her way around lyrical imagery, Laura’s at her best when she’s being honest.
The sixteen songs that make up Once I Was an Eagle were written over the course of a number of years, with Pray for Me being an old live favourite since the release of her second album in 2009. It’s more a collection of songs than a traditional album, like a greatest hits of new material. What it lacks in cohesiveness, it more than makes up for in variety. There’s the gentle, unaccompanied acoustic lullaby of Little Bird, the crashing drums and banjo of Master Hunter and the angry shouts of Saved These Words.
At just over an hour in runtime, and with each song hovering around the five-minute mark, it’s Laura’s most sprawling effort to date. Once I was an Eagle has taken the best bits from each of her previous albums and combined them to form an expansive, twisting, turning performance that stands alone as one of the greatest folk albums in a very, very long time.

Review: Vampire Weekend - Ya Hey

(Originally published on DIY)

Despite sounding like an homage to a certain Outkast song, the latest single to be released from upcoming album Modern Vampires of the City is actually a documentation of Ezra Koenig’s growing disdain for god.  

Ya Hey may sound like nonsensical sentiment, but in fact it’s a reference to Yahweh, the national god of the Iron Age kingdoms of Isreal and Judah. Yes, really. “I can’t help but feel that you see the mistakes, but you let it go” sings Ezra, who lists the nonbelievers as the faithless and the zealous hearts.

If Ya Hey is any kind of sampler for the new album, it seems Koenig and co have replaced the tales of college campuses, taxi cabs and traditional rice drinks for more sombre and serious themes. Ezra’s said in interviews that Modern Vampires of the City is the final instalment in the Vampire Weekend trilogy, but if the album continues down the path that Ya Hey, Diane Young and Step have paved, it looks like it might not be a very happy ending.

The song is accompanied by a video of various monks and members of the band spraying champagne off of a rooftop in New York (of course) which you can watch below.

Review: Daughter - If You Leave

As the title would suggest, If You Leave is quite a bleak album.

Singer Elena Tonra has obviously had a tough time of it lately, and she’s not afraid to share her heartbreak, particularly in ‘Tomorrow’, in which she whispers “by tomorrow I’ll be left in the darkness, among your cold sheets” and “I’ve been dreaming of strangers kissing me in the night just so i can feel something” in Human. Pairing her fragile, vulnerable vocals with equally vulnerable and heart-breaking lyrics, the album should make for a depressing listen.

Instead, it’s saved by the addition of a bursting, thumping band accompanying her, and some of the best moments on the album come from Elena’s eerie layered harmonies being interrupted by crashing drums. The album falters only in that it runs a little long in places. Album closer Shallows comes in at a lengthy seven minutes, and compared to the 4/5 minute average of the rest of the album, it lingers for a little too long.

Despite this, Daughter have managed to create a beautifully bleak first effort, and if heartbreak is what inspired this album, from a selfish perspective, let’s hope someone breaks Elena’s heart again soon.

8/10

Review: Swim Deep @ Joiners

Southampton Joiners is a lovely venue, granted, but not necessarily the most romantic place to spend Valentine’s Day. For one thing, it gets pretty sweaty in there. Almost every artist or band who play Joiners comment on the unrelenting heat, and Swim Deep are no exception tonight. Within the first few minutes, drummer Zach Robinson has whipped his t-shirt off, soon to be joined by lead singer Austin later in the set.

To get the audience in the valentines’ mood, the band come on stage to one of the more romantic love songs of the past decade, ‘Fuck it (I don’t want you back)’ by Eamon. Opening with one of many new songs (six out of the eleven they played, if you want to be particular) the band sound perfectly at ease with the newer material, and the crowd react suitably, with restrained gentle swaying.

Whilst the new songs sound very promising, which is impressive considering this is the first time the band have played many of them live at all, it’s the singles that really showcase what Swim Deep are about. As soon as the drums crash into Honey, the crowd explode. After a number of support slots for the likes of Spector and Two Door Cinema Club, the band are tight and the songs sound brilliant. The difference in this case is the reaction from the crowd. Tonight is no support slot, the venue is filled to capacity with paying customers who came to see Swim Deep, and the band seem genuinely humbled and excited to be playing.

After playing a set of almost entirely new songs, bar latest single The Sea , b-side Beach Justice and Led Zeppelin cover Down by the Seaside , Austin announced that they only had one more song. As soon as the band launched into King City, a few fans jumped on stage. They were followed by a few more, and a few more, until security were calling in back-up, half the audience were onstage, Austin was suddenly topless and the music stopped. When everyone finally jumped down and guitars had been plugged back in, Austin grinned and said, “Shall we try that again?”

Having made it all the way through their second attempt at King City, the band leave the stage (accompanied by ‘Fuck U Right Back’ by Frankee, of course) and the mess of sweaty, exasperated teenagers behind. It may not have been the most romantic way for a lot of them to spend their valentine’s day, but nobody seemed to mind.

Live Review: Tame Impala @ Brixton Academy

"The last London show we played was our biggest to date at the time, and all the people who came to that could fit in the upstairs seating area here!" announced Kevin Parker triumphantly halfway through tonight’s show (cue a huge roar from all the extra fans in the Standing area). Indeed, when Tame Impala announced this show earlier in the year, it seemed slightly too ambitious. Their first album had impressed many, but it was their only album, and coming in at £20 a ticket, it all seemed a step too far. However, come the night of Tuesday October 30th, thousands of Kevin Parker's disciples did indeed flock, with tickets changing hands for twice their face value outside the venue, it was hard to believe anyone ever questioned their ability to play a venue this size.

In fact, hearing the songs in this setting made you feel the show feel almost intimate. Every track was huge, and almost ripe for filling stadiums, if only the band themselves possessed the bombastic swagger that their songs carry. Instead, they remain relatively static, relying on geometric background imagery to do all the visual work. They're clearly enjoying themselves, and the stillness appears to be rooted in nervousness, more than the actions of a band “going through the motions”. Despite this, if their third release is half as good as the last two efforts, you can’t help but feel mainstream success and the O2 arena await them.

It is also easy to forget whilst watching the band, that they barely are in fact a band – Kevin Parker is credited for almost all the instrumentation on every release of Tame Imapala’s – both for the writing and the playing, and knowing this fact, props have to especially be given to drummer Jay Watson, who pounds out every drum beat like it’s his own (in fact, he’s only credited for drumming on “Solitude is Bliss” and “The Bold Arrow of Time” on their releases), complete with one particularly special improvisation halfway through “Elephant” (which he actually played keys for on the version you hear on “Lonerism”). It would be unfair to single out Jay alone though – the entire band are incredibly tight in the live setting, and the way that Kevin has worked with them to manipulate his babies into monsters is astonishing. Each song takes on a whole new personality tonight, with unexpected solos and jams taking things to a whole new dimension.

The band leave the stage to rapturous applause following a fantastic rendition of “Apocalypse Dreams” and return with a treat for those who have been fans since the start – a rousing rendition of “Half Full Glass of Wine” from their debut release, the self titled EP, brings the house down. Everyone here knows that Tame Impala’s glass certainly isn’t in need of re-filling any time soon.

Live Review: Peace @ The Lexington

It’s a good sign when a band sells out a venue so quickly that they have to add a matinee show to accommodate demand. However, that then presents the issue of a matinee show itself. A weird event, usually favoured by theatre and cinemas, which relies on a crowd entirely devoid of alcohol (especially at this all ages show) and filled with the enthusiasm usually favoured by the spectacularly drunk. Tonight’s (today’s?) gig is a slightly more sombre affair than usual, with doors opening at 4.30 in broad daylight, with the downstairs of the pub filled with people finishing off their long lunches.

Luckily, upstairs is a different matter, filled to capacity with excitable teens donning various degrees of oversized denim and peace-emblazoned clothing. The band set the stage up themselves, which is a surprising reminder that despite Peace being on the lips of just about every music journalist working today, this is still a relatively small show. The band momentarily leave the stage, before the lights cut out and they make their slightly more grand entrance, and are met with fervent applause that dies down just before they’re ready to kick into opener, Ocean’s Eye.

A moment’s silence is a gentle warning of what’s to come, which is a lengthy amount of silence and awkward chit-chat between each of the songs. It’s unclear whether this is a genuine pause, or whether they’re trying to fill the set time, as despite having some really brilliant, instantly enjoyable and irritatingly catchy songs to choose from, there aren’t that many of them. Following Ocean’s Eye, one of the highlights from their debut EP Delicious, the band play early single Follow Baby and it’s b-side Lil’ Echo, before showcasing the relatively-unknown track Wraith, the only song on their setlist to have not been recorded and released.

California Daze provides a welcome break for the band and audience, and gives singer Harrison time to properly address the crowd beforehand, commenting on the “sartorial disaster” that was his turtleneck jumper in the sweaty venue, and thanking them all profusely for making it to an afternoon show. Ending on a would-be encore of 1988 (Delicious) and Bloodshake, the band make use of their trademark confetti canon and depart graciously from the stage. Whilst their short set definitely showcased what the band are capable of, the atmosphere and energy of previous shows was somewhat lost in the matinee setting, and it would have been really nice to hear some of the new material for the album.  

Live Review: The Maccabees and Alt-J @ LSO St Lukes

 Ahead of the Mercury Prize Awards Ceremony on November 1^st, The Maccabees and Alt-J took to orchestral venue LSO St Lukes in Islington to showcase songs from their nominated albums. Tickets were awarded on a ballot-only basis, and the 500-capacity crowd turned up long before opener Alt-J’s set.

Bringing their unexpectedly popular brand of geeky-computer-electro-pop (or something along those lines) to the church setting, the band looked perfectly at ease with their newfound fervent fan base. Admissions of love and adoration from fans at the very front were met with relatively awkward thanks, probably due to the fact that the culprits were about 5 metres away from the band. Their 11-song set, comprised entirely of their debut album An Awesome Wave, perfectly showcased what brought Alt-J to the attention of the Mercury bigwigs, with their intricate, bizarrely manipulated beats contrasting with Joe’s sharp, booming vocals and the band’s sporadic harmonies. The band’s stoicism can be distracting at times, with only occasional movements from lead singer Joe, and can make it seem as if the band aren’t enjoying themselves, however mid-way through the set we’re assured it’s because they’re “concentrating.” Either way, the crowd don’t seem too bothered, as proven by their explosive reactions to the start of “Dissolve Me” and “Breezeblocks”, which are only emphasised in such a quiet, serene environment. Finishing their set on “Taro”, the band leave the stage to a huge applause, seeming genuinely humbled by the crowd response.

 Then it was time for The Maccabees. Since the release of third album “Given to the Wild”, the five-piece have headlined the legendary Alexandra Palace in London, commonly acknowledged as the one-step-below-arena venue (as proven by previous headliners Florence and the Machine and The Vaccines, both set to play the 02 Arena in upcoming tours.) Having played such enormous venues on their last tour, it’s a bit of a change of pace for the band to be playing such an intimate, quiet setting. Instead of forcing their arena-ready third album tracks to translate into such a small capacity, the band choose to play a selection of old and new tracks, including old fan-favourites such as “William Powers” and “Wall of Arms”. Despite the Mercury nod awarded to “Given to the Wild”, it’s the second album tracks that draw the biggest response from the crowd, most of whom seem more familiar with the old material. It seems a shame that the new tracks go somewhat unappreciated, especially as they take on such a new dimension when performed live, and really prove that their latest effort is deserving of the Mercury nod, potentially even the prize itself. Finally, the crowd respond to set-closer “Grew up at Midnight” and a poor fan at the barrier, who had been there since midday, burst into tears at the end. I’m not sure it was the Maccabees strongest performance, or their most exciting set-list, but the new material really solidifies them as a band that can play venues nearly 50 times this size.

Pebble Webzine

Some students at my University have just launched a new online zine called Pebble, and I contributed some photos and a 50-word review of Bestival for the disposable festivals feature.

"Why Bestival lived up to it's name: Idyllic weather, perfect company, and a headline-worthy set from Alt-J. Apart from a few disappointing cancellations (King Krule and Azealia, I'm looking at you) the weekend was perfectly finished with fireworks and laughing as drunken dress-up zebras attempted to dismantle their tents."

Album Review: Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

For long-time fans of Lucy Rose, the track-listing to Like I Used To reads pretty similarly to her old MySpace demos. Old favourites such as Be Alright, and Don’t You Worry make an appearance, having seemingly disappeared into internet nothingness when Lucy started to gain attention. What separates the album from the early demos is the flawless production, including new backing vocals and a slew of new instruments. Recorded in her parent’s basement, and mastered at Abbey Road studios, the album has a polished roughness to it. The vocals are still as husky and recognisable as ever, and contrast superbly with the crisp, clean production.

From opener Red Face, the tone of the album is set. In previous interviews, Lucy has spoken of how she wants her music to be “atmospheric” and to sound “very close.” She’s achieved exactly this, with her voice being the undeniable force guiding the album, with backing vocals, harmonies and instrumentals fading somewhat into the background as her voice distracts. Previous singles Middle of the Bed and Lines are reminders of why Lucy attracted such a huge following so early on, she knows how to write a beautiful song. Accompanied by guitars, violins and heavy percussion throughout the album, the old songs take on a new life of their own, and memories of early demos pale in comparison.

Lyrically, the album is much of what fans have come to expect from Lucy. Eschewing the distant, metaphorical lyrics favoured by her folky counterparts Laura Marling et al, Lucy’s lyrics are personal and honest, notably in heartbreaker Shiver,  “I loved the way you looked at me, and I miss the way you made me feel when we were alone.” By not keeping the listener at arm’s length lyrically, Lucy manages to further emphasise the “closeness” of the album and really give the listener a sense of involvement. 

After playing enormous venues with Bombay Bicycle Club since 2010, whilst simultaneously working her way up the London basement venues as a solo act, Lucy has gained the confidence and the experience to produce a beautifully written, recorded and produced album. 

Review: Latitude Festival 2012

Performers in the Comedy tent are all too quick to point out how middle-class Latitude is. The festival, now in it's seventh year, has a long-running reputation for being overrun with families and posh folk from the neighbouring Suffolk towns. It's probably fair to say that's it's a little more polite and pretty than festivals like Reading and T in the Park, but I struggle to see why that would put anybody off.

As well as being set in the middle of a forest and offering the most scenic festival camp-site of them all, the line-up this year was one of the strongest yet. Headliners included Bon Iver, Elbow and Paul Weller, but the most exciting acts were on the smaller stages, especially the Lake Stage and i Arena. This year saw performances from Twin Shadow, Alt-J, Splashh, Tall Ships, Weird Dreams, Peace and Perfume Genius on the smaller stages, and proved that Latitude are just as good as getting up-and-coming bands as well as established headliners.

These were my highlights.

Lana Del Rey

After so many mixed reviews for Lana's live performances, my expectations for her set at the Word Arena were muddled. Having thoroughly enjoyed her album, I really wanted her to be brilliant live. Instead, Lana sashayed from one side of the stage to another, trying but somewhat failing to sing in time to the music, and looking incredibly nervous. The silence and wait between each song was hard to ignore, and cut into the set quite awkwardly. Her descent into the audience mid-way through the set left a huge gap, and didn't do much to excite the people further back in the crowd. However, the set list definitely showcased the best of her album, and her nervousness and confusion was actually weirdly quite endearing. Ending the set on current single National Anthem, Lana gave her strongest performance and just about managed to win the crowd over (those of them who had stayed long enough, mind).

Metronomy
Metronomy's slot just before headliner Bon Iver could've proved tricky for them, considering they don't necessarily share a fanbase, but even oblivious audience members seemed to be quietly tapping their feet. Frontman Joe Mount reminisced about the first time he played Latitude, and how good it felt to be playing "at the top of the hill, now." Since his first performance there, all the way back in 2007, Metronomy have gained a bassist and a drummer, and songs from latest album 'The English Riviera' fit perfectly with tracks from their first two albums in a career-spanning set.

Bon Iver

Taking to the stage just as the sun began to set, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and his massive band (including two drummers) launched straight into Perth. At this point, a devoted (read: drunk) fan next to me burst into tears, and didn't pause for breath until the end of the set. Her reaction was obviously over-the-top, and should have been irritating, but I think everybody in the audience could sympathise with her. Songs from both Justin's debut, and Grammy-winning eponymous follow-up are transformed live, with his full band giving a thickness and a fullness to the songs that couldn't quite be captured in a studio environment. Predictably, mega-hit Skinny Love garners the best audience reaction, inciting a deafening singalong.Other highlights include fan-favourites Holocene and Beth/Rest, again both from the second album. However, the encore is comprised of first-album tracks, The Wolves (Act I and II) and For Emma, Forever Ago. Whilst the size of the band threatened to overpower the more sparse songs, instead they served only to emphasise them, and this is where Bon Iver gave their strongest performance of the night. 

Summer Camp
A last-minute cancellation meant that Summer Camp were booked to play in the Film & Music Arena directly after Bon Iver finished. Backed by their usual footage of 80s films and dance sequences, Elizabeth and Jeremy played a set of songs from the Young EP, debut album Welcome to Condale, and new EP Always. For a band who only released an album last October, they have an impressive amount of material to play, and were given a generously lengthy set to show it off. The band seemed genuinely thrilled to be playing the festival, claiming they were big fans of it (Jeremy had also previously played there when he was still a solo act) and it might have been excitement about their booking, or excitement about their latest release being so critically praised, but Summer Camp gave one of their most energetic and brilliant performances to date.

Theme Park
Sound problems aren't uncommon at festivals with a high turnover of bands, and unfortunately this time it was Theme Park that suffered. Their set, which was comprised of very promising sounding songs from their upcoming debut, was interrupted a few times by harsh feedback sounds, and the vocals were somewhat lost under overpowering guitars. Regardless, the band played an excellent set, and the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, it's just a shame their performance was interrupted by something they couldn't control.

Laura Marling

With a back catalogue of three albums (and a fourth in the making) to choose from, it must be difficult for Laura Marling to choose a set list. Having seen her a week before at Royal Albert Hall, where she played her entire third album in full, as well as a selection of old and brand-new songs, I was interested to see what made it to the festival set list. By some miracle, the crowd (largely comprised of Elbow fans - AKA dads/drunks) stayed completely silent for the entire set, which is exactly what you'd want at a Laura Marling gig. Playing songs from her second and third album, and a guest spot from first album bonus track Alas, I Cannot Swim, Laura was quiet between songs, but her minimal interaction included a thanks for the audience for coming, and an appreciation of the lovely weather and setting for her performance. Laura also introduced the audience to her band, before revealing that this would be her last gig for a "very long time", before ending on an encore-worthy trio of Do Not Ask Me Why/Salinas and I Speak Because I Can.

The Horrors
Playing on almost the year-anniversary of the release of third-album Skying, the Horrors set was a perfect way to round off a year that saw them tour the UK multiple times, and win the NME award for Best Album. The Word Arena was looking pretty empty as the band took the stage, which could've had something to do with them clashing with headliners Elbow, but as soon as the opening bars of Mirror's Image began, a stampede of people came flocking up the hill to the tent, which filled out considerably. Playing a set of songs from both Primary Colours and Skying, including newly-added You Said, The Horrors filled their headline slot perfectly. Strongest were the singles from Skying, I Can See Through You and Still Life, and the would-be encore 15-minute version of Moving Further Away. 

Lucy Rose

"I know exactly who I'm clashing with, and I can't thank you enough for coming" says Lucy, mid-way through her set. She was talking about a very ill-thought-out clash with Ben Howard, who drew one of the biggest crowds at the Obelisk Arena for a daytime slot. Despite the clash meaning the audience at Lucy Rose was about half of what it would have been otherwise, Lucy was still heckled with marriage proposals and admissions of love. Her set was made-up of songs from highly-anticipated upcoming album Like I Used To, which has just been mastered at Abbey Road Studios, and is set for release this September. Highlights were fan-favourites Night Bus and Bikes, which Lucy has been playing for the longest, but the newer songs suggested what we can expect from the new album, and it's very exciting stuff.

Summer Camp collaborate with Odd Future on new single

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE QUIETUS

Summer Camp are no strangers to featuring guest vocals on their music, but it’s more often characters from John Hughes films than rappers. In a wholly unexpected collaboration, they’ve enlisted the help of Odd Future rapper Pyramid Vritra on their new single, City.

Bizarrely, this isn’t the first time that the LA-Based hip-hop collective have shown an interest in the synth-pop London duo. Last year, Tyler, the Creator featured ‘Ghost Train’ by the band on his mixtape, also entitled ‘Summer Camp.’ The collaboration came about when Pyramid Vritra asked if he could remix one of their songs. The band responded by sending them the original version of ‘City’, a track from their upcoming EP, Always. They must’ve liked what he came up with, because his rap verse has made its way onto the official version of the song.

The track is a departure from the fuzzy, 80s synth-pop of the majority of their debut album, and takes on a darker sound similar to that of ‘I Want You’ and their other releases from the new EP. Whilst it’s definitely exciting to see Summer Camp try something new with the collaboration, Pyramid Vrirta’s verse interrupts the song at an awkward point, and the swearing feels a bit out-of-place when embedded in a song with Elizabeth Sankey’s sweet and innocent vocals.

Summer Camp’s EP ‘Always’ is out on the 9^th July.

Review: Bon Iver iTunes Session

In the run-up to a number of festival appearances, and newly-announced UK arena dates, Bon Iver frontman  Justin Vernon has released an iTunes Session Live EP. Teasingly described as a 'new release', the 7-track EP showcases revamped versions of tracks from Justin's second album, the confusingly self-titled Bon Iver, as well as Bjork Cover, Who Is It.

The EP features fan-favourites Holocene and Michicant as well as lesser-known album tracks. Noticeably absent is single and my personal favourite Bon Iver song, Towers. Overlooking this travesty, the EP was recorded with the help of a number of musicians brought in by Justin, which gives a heavier, and more reverb-y sound to the album, most notably in Beth/Rest (which can be heard below).

Whilst it feels a bit cheeky for iTunes to charge a full £4.49 for something that websites such as Daytrotter offer for free (and Bon Iver's Daytrotter session is definitely worth a listen), the addition of the extra musicians, and the reworking of each song makes the EP an altogether different experience to the recorded tracks. If you're not seeing Bon Iver on any of his upcoming dates, then this EP is the closest you'll come to the live experience, and £4.49 is definitely cheaper than an ticket to Wembley Arena.

Review: Kate Nash - Under-Estimate the Girl

Followers of Kate Nash on Twitter may have noticed that she's undergone something of a transformation from her cutesy, charming, do-wap pop sound of second album, My Best Friend is You. Tweets of anger and frustration about the ideals of society being forced upon young girls, and the sadness she feels about the low self-esteem of girls she has met on tour all hinted towards a more serious message in her writing for her as-of-yet untitled third album.

Since the release of My Best Friend is You, Kate has been running after-school clubs across the country to teach and inspire young girls, as well as writing for regularly updated personal blog, My Ignorant Youth. In the run-up to her third studio effort, and having spent time recording this month, Kate released teaser-track, Under-Estimate the Girl, as a sampler of what we can expect. Whilst the track will not feature on the album, it's quite a clear example of what direction Kate has chosen to move in.

Taking influence from the Riot Grrrl movement, which originated in the early 90s, Kate has channelled all of her anger and frustration into an all-shouting, all-screaming 5-minute rant. Lyrically, the song is a lot more angsty than that of both her previous efforts, and whilst Kate has always been one to speak frankly in her writing, the song feels particularly like a subconscious outpouring of anger and pent-up aggression.

Kate's new direction is noticeably influenced by bands such as The Runaways and Bikini Kill, and whilst that's likely to appeal to a certain audience, the new material may alienate old fans, who were more interested in her chart-friendly pop efforts. This doesn't seem to concern Kate, who tweeted ahead of the video release, "Not sure if the world is ready but frankly I don't care!" and judging by the mixed reviews of Kate's fans, her upcoming album may be something of an opinion-splitter.

Live Review: Wavves at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen

Wavves frontman Nathan Williams handpicked the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen for his only London show of 2012 for it's intimacy, and it paid off. By the time the band shuffled on stage, the back room of the Hoxton Square bar was filled to capacity, with pleading fans being turned away at the entrance. 

The set opened with King of the Beach, title-track to their critically-acclaimed and hyped third album. Almost instantaneously the crowd dispersed and descended into hysteria. The lo-fi sound of Wavves' studio recordings translated to loud, thrashing and ear-splittingly energetic in a live environment. Bottles, Flat-caps and T-Shirts were thrown over the crowd, as more and more fans involved themselves in the punching, spitting, and heckling circle of the audience. 

Whilst the atmosphere of the set wasn't to everybody's taste, with a crowd of older fans opting to watch from the sidelines, the setlist showcased the best of Wavves extensive back catalogue. Despite King of the Beach being the first of their records to break through to commercial success, older tracks such as 'So Bored' and 'No Hope Kids' received just as frantic and enthusiastic reaction as the newer material. Most successful were tracks from recent EP, Life Sux. Wavves back catalogue might not show particular progression from start to finish, but you can't deny that their material is consistently well-received by fans, and from the reaction of the crowd at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, there's no need for them to change the formula just yet.

Review: Florence + the Machine - Breath of Life

Florence Welch is no stranger to a collaboration. As well as working with a variety of artists, such as Josh Homme,Dev Hynes and The Horrors, she has also previously written a song for the popular Twilight franchise Soundtrack. ‘Breath of Life’ is her second soundtrack contribution, for upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman.

The film is billed as a dark, epic fantasy – which coincidentally echoes reviews of Florence’s latest album, Ceremonials(and to some extent, her last soundtrack effort ‘Heavy in your Arms’).

The track was recorded with the accompaniment of a 60-piece choir, an experience which Florence relished, “I love choirs and I love choral music. The choir were singing vocal parts which I had written, and when the baritones came in, I nearly wept, it was so emotional.”

The song itself certainly sounds emotional. Florence described her last album as ‘cathartic’ and ‘an out-pour of emotions’, and if Ceremonials was an out-pour, then ‘Breath of Life‘ is a full-scale emotional breakdown.

The character of the Queen Ravenna is said to be the inspiration for the song, with Florence saying “The Queen is just this incredible character; so hungry for life but so dead inside. She’s sort of eternal, but inside there’s nothing. She’s kind of like charcoal or something.” Whilst it’s an unconventional metaphor, charcoal is actually a fairly accurate representation of the song itself. It’s incredibly dark, both lyrically and melodically, but fragile. Florence’s vocals are fraught, straining over the painfully loud and overpowering drums, and it sounds as though she’s struggling to be heard over the choir and orchestra.

If ‘Breath of Life’ is any indication of where Florence could go for her next album, then it’s only going to get more exaggerated and more epic, which definitely isn’t a bad thing.

Review: The Maccabees @ KOKO

The touts outside KOKO in Camden are panicking. The support act, and the most talked-about and eagerly anticipated artist of the moment, Lana Del Rey, has just pulled out of tonight’s show. Despite headline band The Maccabees having more than enough of a fan base to sell out tonight’s poky venue themselves, the announcement of the support act ensured that tonight’s gig sold out in minutes.

As soon as the announcement was made, the audience were offered refunds and apologies from the venue, with many ticket-holders choosing to go home and claim their money back. You’d think that this would mean the venue would be less crowded and the crowd less excitable, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. There is a mass discussion of disappointment at Del Rey’s cancellation (due to “illness” or as speculation suggests, a strop at her album leaking previously that day) however the crowd seem to quickly switch topic to excitement at what they’re about to witness.

The Maccabees released their third, and most accomplished album on the 7th January. It went straight to the Top 5 in the charts, a previously unheard accomplishment for a band so little-known, and their loyal fans went crazy. Tonight’s gig is one of the smallest venues the band will likely ever play again, and comes just three days before a massive headline slot at Brixton Academy. The audience are crammed in to the poky floor space of KOKO, and as the band came on, the room erupts into screams of hysterical fans, many having paid extortionate amounts for tickets on ebay.

The set is a triumph, combining tracks from all three albums. The new songs are as well-received as the classics, and standout tracks from Given to the Wild, including Ayla and Unknow, are met with a frantic reception. Encore closer, Grew up at Midnight, draws the biggest reaction from the crowd. The track draws to a finish in an all-singing, all-drumming climax of flashing lights and hysteria. When leaving the venue afterwards, many fans can be heard saying the encore very nearly drew them to tears, and that it was the best gig they had ever been to. They weren’t wrong.