I’ve really been looking forward to hearing this EP, the two tracks the band have released already – ‘Patriot & Father’ and ‘Self Torn From Sign’ – are brilliant. They gave us glimpses of the theme running through the EP but with the four tracks those themes are fully resolved.

“There’s a few themes that overarch the whole EP, but the main one is an examination of the role community plays in the way we live and structure our societies. It’s something that the last couple of years have drawn my attention to and is the vein that runs throughout the EP. As with the two singles released from the collection, there’s still that strong theological component that’s in all the tracks, especially the closer ‘Portraits of Lazarus’,” says singer and bassist Leo Joslin.

Another thing that runs through the songs is a heavy use of theological and religious imagery. Playing on this, Leo’s vocals frequently adopt a ‘manic preacher’ persona.

But first a note. King Orange are another of the current post-punk bands that kind of make a nonsense of putting all these bands into a niche marked post-punk. This is not an issue that is ‘of now’; at the time of ‘the original post-punk’ there was a similar problem. For example while you may hear certain shared musical roots in the music of say Joy Division, The Cult and early Human League, those can be really hard to pin down. The New Post-Punk is even harder to exactly define because not only are the bands taking influences from the music that came after Punk but music since then.

That said let’s immerse ourselves in the music, for this is an EP that demands total commitment.

The sound in opening track ‘Patriot & Father’ is akin to mixing Joy Division, Bauhaus and early Goth. With a musical feel like this you’d expect it to be about a weighty subject. The band explain “On the surface, it’s an examination of the relationship between our history and our present; that which we value and that which we trust. It asks if we have too much faith in those that we put it in, and if complacency is damaging that which we hold collectively dear. As the song moves on, it changes from the societal perspective onto the personal, shifting from a focus on the connections between different parts of society to the individual and their links to their immediate environment,” says singer and bassist Leo Joslin.

“As with the rest of the forthcoming EP’s tracks, there’s heavy use of theological and religious imagery in ‘Patriot & Father’, from the title to the last verse. The meeting of religion and society, in both the good and the bad, is at its core. I also think it matches with the angular and direct sound quite well.”

That is a big subject to explore in a song and there are a lot of words. But the words are good. This is a song that will gradually reveal itself to you.

The great thing about the track is that it has space; all the instruments are given space to breathe, to fully attack your ears. The contrast between the angular frantic guitar and pulsing bass is there to thrill. This is a song to dance to frantically; it’s a wild, swirling thing.

‘Self Torn From Sign’ has hints of Gang of Four, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Nick Cave and Bauhaus, as well as No Wave and Kraut-rock.

Leo explains “The song is about a lack of direction; the feelings of aimlessness and stagnation. Not just in the personal sense either where one is unsure of their orientation, but also on the communal level where our collective motion has stalled. Without a path there comes a lack of purpose, this song looks at the symptoms of that and senses left when direction leaves,”

Guitars are turned up to piercing in a rattling manic torrid of metallic sound, drums pound repetitively. In stark contrast the vocals are shout spoken. But wait, for this is changing; the sign is a brief flurry of discordant guitar but then it goes beyond sound. It’s a build but a build done in distinct stages rather than gradually. It’s dark, it’s gloriously dark and bleak, and on the edge of madness.

‘White Noses, Black Sands’ takes the rattling sound of ‘Self Torn From Sign’ but takes it in a darker direction. The sound is bass heavy, it has a weight to it, a weight that threatens to suffocate you. It does a fast/slow thing that is unsettling, that unbalances you; you think you know where this is going but you’re wrong.

There is a desolation to this song that comes with the sonic weight but also the words. It continues the theme of a disintegrating society, if not a totally collapsed society. I hear, although I may be wrong, something of the grinding despair of modern life.

And now to the closing track ‘Portraits of Lazarus’. This gloriously longer track takes their sound and slows it right down. Leo explains “with ‘Portraits of Lazarus’ we wanted to push more into the gothic and doom side of post-punk that we’ve not explored before. It’s a sound that I think we’ll continue to look at, as well as the post-hardcore and noise influences that’ve snuck into what we’ve written since recording this EP.”

It sounds at times like the doom laden rawness of early Black Sabbath or possibly the slow grind of Samothrace but mixed with the sound of the Sisters of Mercy and the overwhelming bleakness of ‘The Scream’ period Siouxsie and The Banshees. And while what I’m describing might make it sound as though it’s somewhat retro, it isn’t. You can hear the band’s noise rock influences; they’re just used in another way. It takes the band into a musical place that has me waiting to hear the songs that come after this EP.

I said right at the start of this review that this EP was one to immerse yourself in; and I hope I’ve given you at least some of the reasons to do that. The themes that run through the songs are compelling and relevant. There is an overall connection musically across all four tracks; but the songs are fantastically different. What is common to the tracks is the sense of space; space that allows the individual instruments to shine whilst still giving us the combined power.

This is an incredibly impressive EP release from a band that are very much ‘doing their own thing’ with their post-punk and other musical influences. Lyrically they are using their songs to talk about society today in a compelling way that will make you want to go back to the songs time and time again. Yet at the same time these are songs to dance to, manically.

Somehow this slipped past me. This is terrible because this, the debut release from Helle on the mighty Monomyth Records (natch, they really do pick ‘em) is raging.

Now, having picked up on at least a snippet of info about the band, I was expecting punk, because they describe themselves as a punk band. And, if you’ve picked up that information, this isn’t old school punk. It’s more polished, more melodic, but still raw. I guess in my head I kinda hear them as like a primaeval rawer Hands Off Gretel. Or a more raucous Venus Grrrls. If you’re looking for a ‘if you like these, you’ll like this’ sort of pointer.

What we are talking about here is a vocal that could break windows, that crawls, that slithers, that pierces your soul as well as your eardrums. This and guitars that rage. But, and this is the killer blow, this has a tune that seduces. It’s the perfect mix of loud raw sound and sweet sweet melody.

This, people, is blissful. Do it now.

If you’ve heard the teaser singles released from this album (and if not, I have to ask why not) you’ll know that Mayshe-Mayshe’s music works on more than one level. Yes, she makes exquisite synth/electro art pop but behind the sometimes jaunty sounds there is something deeper going on in her songs.

This much will be obvious from the opening track ‘But I Do’ which, as the press release explains is a ‘stream of consciousness on the cognitive dissonance wrought by attempting ethics under consumerism’. The thing is that you might be misled by the sound of this track, which although having a touch of darkness, actually has more than a hint of the soundtrack to a Japanese Sci-Fi movie. Or you may notice a resemblance to the ads shown on the big display screen in Blade Runner. However your head reacts to this track there is a sense of the dystopian decay in today’s society.

The key to the following track ‘Dark Mountain’ is the apparent disconnect between the music and the words. The music is almost too joyful, you’ll see that it is driven to a point when it sounds edgy with a sense of sonic anxiety. But just wait until the track breaks down, then it hits you. And her vocals have this fragility which is almost painful. While the words seem to reference things being too much; to the point of drowning under it all. You are left with a sense that the song is very very personal. The combination of the music and words is brittle, is fragile; but counterintuitively the obvious honesty is a strength. So there are layers to this song. The music is deceptively simple; it has layers of sound that draw you in, and an emotional depth. The words demand close listening. And finally, if you can drag yourself away from listening more closely, you can dance to it; for it is pop. So it’s a complex thing ‘Dark Mountain’ but it’s the whole song which is important.

‘Moonflood’ musically is a beautiful piece of almost retro sounding electro-pop. It’s one of those tracks built on layers of drone, vocals and those – and please forgive me for this – those plinky-plonky mono synth sounds. Again words spill out in a stream of consciousness, that build through a skittering anxiety to something stronger.

‘Velvet’ is an ethereal track; Alice charms with a vocal that is almost nursery rhyme sweet. But listen more closely and suddenly the lyrics spring into sharp focus. These seem to speak of a kind of emotional withering, and ask ‘what will you think when your heart dries out’. And suddenly the vocals go. The track becomes instrumental, the voice, the person has disappeared. Haunting, disturbing.

The intriguing track ‘Monastery’ follows. It’s aptly named as the feel of plainsong echoes through the track. It features a vocal sound sample that reoccurs across the songs but is treated differently. The whole has an almost gothic musical atmosphere.

There are times when the theme of the album is obvious from the song titles, and ‘Colours of Anxiety’ is one of those. I know exactly what she’s describing here; I have anxiety and it does come in different colours. Another of these song titles that make the theme obvious is ‘Eczema’. I’m aware that stress can sometimes cause this, but also a whole range of consumer products can be a cause. The words sometimes point to stress as a cause. Musically this track feels more like the live Mayshe-Mayshe experience; especially as this the song that features a hairdryer.

‘How To Be Happy’ is sweet electro-pop, but the sound is too bright, on the edge of brittle. I have listened to this song many many times in an attempt to work out what it’s about but every time I hear it I get a different meaning.

Next up is the intriguingly named ‘Zachter’. In an attempt to get a handle on the song I found that this is actually a Dutch word which as far as I can see means:

Gentler or
Softer or
To yield or relent

The track mesmerises, it weaves a hypnotic spell. It’s soothing, and gently beautiful.

It is tempting to believe that the beginning of ‘Flood-drone’ is the sound of a flood siren; it certainly reminds me of that, having experienced this sound too many times when I lived in the Calder Valley. It is a piece built around drone sounds that wash over you.

The title track ‘Indigo’ is dark and moody. This is really all about atmosphere. From the start with moody synth, strangely of-kilter rhythm and almost whispered vocals to the build of layered vocals and an anxious skittering sound; this is a track to immerse yourself in, let it take you on a musical journey. It’s a word I often over-use but this track is beautiful; layers of carefully chosen dreamy sounds and vocals are put together with craft and, yes, emotion to make something that is absolutely mesmerising.

While the album explores themes of anxiety, depression and burn out; sometimes with an honesty that is almost shocking, it doesn’t always reflect that in the sounds of the tracks. Alice says that the songs are “pop-ponderings on the human condition, but with bright edges. There’s nothing like a catchy pop hook to help you process dark moments”. This explains her musical approach.

I agree with part of this but don’t agree with her description of the songs as ‘pop-ponderings’. Her music may be based on lofi bedroom electro-pop but it’s elevated above this, the tracks are carefully and artfully ‘composed’. Every sound is there to help tell a story, explain a mood, sonically describe an emotion or feeling; and yes, that includes the catchy pop hooks.

I wouldn’t dare use the phrase ‘concept album’ to describe this but as we already know there is a theme to the album; and it has sounds that turn up in many songs but modified which is quite ‘concept-y’. One of these is a particular vocal sample.

This is an album that is fantastic in so many ways; musically, lyrically and, particularly, the brutal honesty of the songs. These combine to make something that is compelling, mesmirising and beautiful.

I will end this review with a plea. I know it’s tempting to pick and choose tracks but please do try to listen to the whole album in the right order at least once; you’ll get so much more out of the songs, I promise you.

Links to stream, buy digital or physical copies of ‘Indigo’, plus socials, website and more https://linktr.ee/mayshe_mayshe

The info

Mayshe-Mayshe is the solo project of Yorkshire-based writer-producer Alice Rowan. Since releasing her debut LP ‘Cocoa Smoke’ in 2018, much in the world has changed – or at least become more apparent. Her new album follows suit by unpeeling layers of ennui, uncertainty and melancholy.

The album is written, recorded and produced by Alice. Embracing the DIY ethos that’s a clear drive behind all her creative output, she’s spent the last years honing her production and home recording skills. “Learning to self-produce my music has been such a joyful, empowering experience – it feels like having a super power, having this new ability to create sonic worlds from my sofa.”

​The result is a work with added depth: the dreamy bedroom pop of Mayshe’s debut album ‘Cocoa Smoke’ remains intact on ‘Indigo’, but the lo-fi recording style is bolstered by muscular production and rich textures. Her frequent collaborator and Living Body bandmate Jeff T. Smith performed mixing and co-production duties.

Live dates

12 November – Sheffield @ Hatch
14 November – Derby @ Dubrek Studios
15 November – Durham @ The Holy Grale
17 November – Leeds @ Oporto Bar
18 November – Manchester @ Peer Hat
19 November – Hartlepool @ The Studio
20 November – Halifax @ The Grayston Unity
26 November – Richmond @ Blues Night

This is the debut release from Hebden Bridge’s The Short Causeway. A band you might have seen if you’ve visited The Trades there as they’ve been the house support band.

‘Tripping Down The Stairs’ is one of those tracks that defies easy fitting into a musical niche. It is by turns Indie pop, madcap nu-jazz and alt-pop/art-pop. It goes from jittery jangly Postcard guitar sounds to languid drone to indie-pop. Odd sounds abound, And there are way out there background chants.

It sounds as though it’s one of those tracks that is either a mess or completely brilliant, doesn’t it? Well, it is brilliant. It’s inventive as hell, has a huge grin factor, and their obvious musical talents show in spades.

I love a band who make music that refuses to be easily squeezed into a niche and that comes from their combined influences. And sure, if you were that picky, you could dissect the track in a ‘that bit is XXX and this bit comes from XXX’ way but let’s not do that. Let’s instead just enjoy the music, enjoy the DIY spirit and praise a band who don’t reach for the nearest commercial sound.

This is a blast of musical joy that’ll leave you grinning. We all need reminding that music can be fun from time to time; let this be your reminder. Sheer glorious joy

The info

Learning by doing and learning by watching The Short Causeway release after absorbing the up-close gigs, DIY spirit, record collections and collaborative spirit found on the fertile
musical hideaway of the Upper Calder Valley.
.
Installed gratefully as a very unofficial house band of the stalwart village live venue, The
Trades Club, over the past year, The Short Causeway’s exposure as a support band in front of curious and expectant audiences, as well as for the remarkable artists passing through or calling the valley home, has shaped their own, restless, boundary-free sound.

The three piece’s musical apprenticeship has concluded after supporting bands like
Peaness, The Lounge Society, Katy J Pearson and The Orielles.

Sandpit companions from childhood, Claudie Nicholson (guitar) and Rufus Stott-Leach
(drums) joined together with Hayden Davey (bass) to create The Short Causeway after a
euphoric, sweaty gig at the venue they’ve been able to call home.

Performing as a three-piece brings simplicity and complexity in equal measure, yet the
band’s determination to assert the symbolic strength of the triangular friendship and artistic partnership is undimmable, with ‘Tripping Down The Stairs’ the first example of The Short Causeway rising to, and taking advantage of their numeric limitations. Claude Nicholson explains “We have always been keen to try to bring something about that sounds a bit different. Being a three piece has been massively important to us and our identity, not
just as a mirror of our friendship, but in the how it has forced us to think about the way we
write, both in terms of needing to make more noise in some instances and needing to make
use of an absence of noise at other times”.

A while back I reviewed EYEBRIGHT’s debut single ‘On My Mind’ and this kind of follows the same feel; melodic alternative rock. I say kind of because there’s something else; this track is really poppy. If there’s such a thing as alternative pop-rock then this is it.

The pop element is down to a couple of things; the vocals which lean heavily towards what I’m going to call pop-punk (I’m thinking Blondie here) and there’s a great tune. Oh, and I forgot, this track is danceable as hell. This is in contrast to the music which is quite crunchy. It’s this pop/rock contrast which makes this track great.

If you’re getting the impression that I’m slightly confused about this track, let me assure you that I’m not; it’s just that I’m having a problem describing it.

So let me tell you that this is a track with a great tune, a beat that compels you to dance your arse off, and fantastic ‘pop sensibility’. And has a sound that is both intriguing and compelling.

EYEBRIGHT make fabulous music. ‘Hazy’ is a joy.

This is a big album. How, you ask. Well I imagine that you do just for the sake of getting this review off the ground.. Firstly this is no ‘edited highlights’, there are 34 tracks that span the years, that have a range of musical styles, that goes from bands and artists you’ll definitely know to those you may not have heard of. so as well as being a romp through the cornfield of music from The North, it’s also a voyage of discovery for there are gems here that may turn you onto music you’ve not heard before. Obviously I’m not going to cover all of this but I am going to pick my personal gems.

These gems start with the first track Team Picture’s ‘Baby Rattlesnake’; a track I’ve never actually heard before (I know, I have no excuse) that grabs that part of my musical brain which positively adores The Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush. We are talking here about a warped sound with vocal that astound, that are not just words but another musical instrument.

And now to the mesmirising dream pop of Van Houton with ‘IDK’. Now this is one classy band; great tunes, lyrics that compel and playing that is off the hook. This track has all of those, and guitar playing that will astound.

And now another track I’ve never heard before ‘Withdrawal’ from Fehit. A track that is hitting both the DIY sound and the post-punk vibes I love. It’s all angular metallic guitar, sounds that are off-kilter and aggressive. Avalanche Party’s ‘Porcelain’ is their glorious psychy garage sound in a nutshell, it’s a riot people.

Hearing Gawjuss’s ‘Yella’ is like seeing a best friend after a long time away from them; you suddenly get a flood of happiness. The band’s alternative rock with that brilliant touch of the off-kilter, the unexpected is glorious. Hamer’s ‘All You Could Hope For’ – another track I’ve never heard before is a bloody glorious riot that sounds like The Cramps on speed or punk surf.

I couldn’t miss out Talkboy’s ‘LOCALS’. Those of you who have been keeping up will know I generally don’t like Indie but Talkboy are a band who’ve grabbed me. This track is a short sharp blast of aggressive indie rock with a punky edge.

And now to the songs from the Clue Club releases. Clue Club was a year long subscription that got you tracks from bands that were not ‘signed’ to Clue.

My first gem from these is ‘Hannibal’ by Pepe Sylvia; a band that made sad songs that somehow don’t fit into any one particular genre. This track has moments of shoegaze but it also has these angelic dual female vocals that are so sweet it hurts. Given that the band appear to have gone away this is a wonderful reminder of what was an extremely talented band.

‘French Kiss’ from Mini Skirt is one of those tracks that seems to be both retro and of now. It shimmers, it charms. Now don’t ask me anything about this band/these artists for I know nothing about them but I do know this is one gorgeous song.

The widescreen shoegaze of Colour of Spring’s ‘Frail’ is haunting, it’s achingly good. This is going to rip your soul into pieces.

Look I’m aware that there’s much I haven’t included like more recent signings Pit Pony and Bored At My Grandma’s House, past signings NARCS, TRASH and Forever Cult, and of course The Wedding Present who Clue ‘inherited’ in their recent label merger. But there’s such a wealth of great music that I’d end up reviewing the whole album. And this would be an epically long review, so I decided to cover a few gems that grabbed me.

I should however shout out loud and clear that whatever your musical tastes you’ll find something for you in this album.

What this shows is that there is great music in The North and that Clue are one of those labels that don’t just concentrate on one particular kind of music but do pick great music. This is essential listening.

Buy physical copies of the album and other Clue 10th Birthday merch: https://cluerecords.myshopify.com/collections/clue-merch

One of the things to love about Lewis’ music – and it is just one of the things – is that you’re never quite sure what style of music his releases are going to take. ‘Someone’ is a surprisingly rocky sounding track. It sounds like – and I take no credit for this description, it comes from my helpful friend – middle period REM with a 70s’ Americana rock edge.

Now, you may be asking why, well it’s in that loose slightly jangly rhythm guitar, the big swelling chorus, the loping beat, the astoundingly blinding guitar. And the 70s’ Americana rock? Well it has the odd touch that sounds a bit like some of The Eagles output.

So, for me, it’s a new take from Lewis. But what isn’t different is that the song is emotional and meaningful; the music fits the song. Somehow the words NEED music that is big. Here too is the trademark great tune that feels just right, and is hugely singalong too. So while the musical journey is using a different form of transport, it’s still taking you on the emotional journey that comes as standard with Lewis; the words sound personal, they sound as though they are about something real.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, this release from Lewis is yet another gorgeous song. If you’ve not heard of him or his music I urge you to dig into his releases, and start with this gorgeous song.

Stream/Download: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/lewisjackinman/someone

It has been a while (quite a long while really) since I reviewed anything from The Calls; so much so that I had almost forgotten how fabulous their music is. The EP has six tracks of loveliness to immerse yourself in, let’s dive in.

Easing us in is ‘Until It’s Time’ a slightly psyche, slightly dreamy ‘Manchester Sound’ song that somehow seems to fit that rock pop ballad form as well. Well, look this is no blast your ears rock song, instead it mesmerises with the dreamy sound and lazy rhythm. This is all about the lush layers of sound. The almost drawled vocals, a bass so prominent it’s a lead instrument, that mellow guitar.

Next up is the sweet pop beauty of ‘Out Of Reach’. A tune that’s going to lodge itself in your head permanently, a vocal that enchants. In a way it kinda reminds me of the classic pop moments of The Monkees except they didn’t do that wobbly dreamy psychedelic guitar. Gorgeous stuff. Continuing with this theme ‘Into The Day’ adds in what I’m going to call a wonkiness, a lovely touch of off-kilter sound. This features some guitar that’s so good it brought a tear to my eye.

Our trip into the groovy takes a big step along the path with ‘Everything’s Alright’, a track that musically in some ways reminds me of Spirit or even Love. What I’m saying here is that this has major psychedelic rock influences. It starts as a wonderful pop track but then takes an extended step into the ‘wow maann that’s far out’.

‘Way Far Out’ is, and I hope you’ll forgive me for this, far out. |You’ll get a hint of what’s to come at the beginning, only to be dropped onto a psych-pop song. And then… well it freaks out; swirling sounds, distant vocal chants, guitar that feels oddly out of time. Lush and glorious.

And all too soon we are at the closing track ‘Setting Sun’. Mesmerising, hypnotic, huge, epic. It sounds like a track that Primal Scream would have loved to write. Is it a blissed out pop song, a prime piece of psychedelia, a (slow) dance song? In truth it’s all of these and more.

The one word I have avoided so far is Indie. So I’m going to address that now. The Calls have identified themselves as an Indie band and sure you’ll hear some sort of Indie feel in their songs. But they’ve taken that and stretched it so far the envelope is well and truly burst. I’ve mentioned some bands I hear in their music but I could add Dukes of the Stratosphere, Strawberry Alarm Clock, the more extreme Peter Green material (both with Fleetwood Mac and solo), and I could go on. But then again I can equally as well hear things that are of the now. It is music that is of the present but draws from the past.

This is an astounding EP. The songs have great tunes that are going to haunt your day. Musically it’s so good it hurts; you can hear it in the individual instruments, you can hear it in the way the band play together. You can hear it in the way they take a song and stretch it out, take it to a beautiful otherworldly place.

This is an EP to be treasured. It’s beautiful