A while back I reviewed the first single release from this album – ‘Moon’ – and was really taken with it. I’m equally as taken with the album.

‘Moon’ actually opens the album – you could go read the whole review – but this is what I said

‘”Moon” is a psychedelic, dreamy pop thing, it’s just incredibly laid back, and takes you into a journey into the clouds, it has that mesmerising quality that takes you to another place, a calm and rather beautiful place. There’s nothing jarring there to trip you out of that calm mood it puts you in.’

Rather strangely the second track on the album – ‘Now That You’re Sitting Comfortably’ – is an instrumental. It’s a dreamy, although warped and wonderfully off-kilter, thing. It’s almost like an intro to the rest of the album.

‘Two Halves Don’t Make a Whole’ continues in that dreamy warped and off-kilter sound. It’s all sort of languid and laid-back. It has the most beautiful guitar break I’ve heard in a long time. ‘Questions I Forgot To Ask’ starts off all sparse and plaintive. And although there are lots of different sounds there, it retains this sense of space.

‘Running Scared’ is a Love-ish Latin sounding song that is heavy on the strummed guitar. Of the tracks so far it’s the most psychedelic sounding one. Although it’s slightly retro there are all sorts of things going on in it. I heard hints of Aztec Camera in ‘Moon’, that’s here as well.

‘Ever Changing Light’ returns to that languid laid-back dreamy feel but the thing about this that stands out is the absolutely lovely guitar. This is really beautiful folks. ‘Dearest Friend’ is so sparse, it feels like there’s less going on on than there is. There’s layers of sound but it’s put together so well it leaves space for the vocals and guitar. The guitar on this is wonderful, it’s all warped but not so much it jars.

Album closer ‘Thanks For Stopping By’ is another instrumental that ends with applause, quite rightly.

I have fallen musically in love with this album. The songs are wonderfully written, the playing is great, and the production is fantastic. There’s variation in the tracks, but the sound and feel of them makes the whole thing hang together so well. And it rewards repeated listening, there’s always something new to hear.

So that’s the objective ‘I’m a music reviewer’ view, the emotional music lover in me is left reeling at the beauty of the music on this album. I’ve listened to this in many ways but the best I found is to use headphones and lie on a sofa and such let myself wallow in the music. It’s achingly beautiful.

The info

Largely recorded across just three December days, ‘Van Houten’ was produced by Martin Smith (Gomez, Bombay Bicycle Club, Richard Hawley). With Smith at the helm, Van Houten were able to realise their true sound. “We met Martin at a small bar in Sheffield. He went on to do a whole new mix and master of our then single ‘Ever Changing Light.’ The way Martin made the track sound made us realise what could be possible for our music. It was a match made in heaven.

“When making the album, we were able to finally sculpt the vintage Hi-Fi sound that we have always been searching for but have never been able to achieve. The title is Van Houten because this is the first work we have created that truly represents our band. This new sound is the true sound of our band,” Louis Sadler – singer – explains.

This, the second album from Leeds based triphop/darkjazz band freese trio, takes as its theme the effects of trauma: using metaphors to describe PTSD and patterns in behaviour, thoughts and emotions. In between getting the request to review it and actually writing the review I was diagnosed with late triggered PTSD, so I have a very personal connection with this music. Although I expected it to be a very difficult listening experience, it was.

Although I know what triphop is, I have no idea what darkjazz is. Yes, I get that the music on this has a jazz feel to it in places, and it’s dark. In fact much of the music on this album feels particularly oppressive, and introverted. Given my personal experience this feels absolutely right.

Album opener ‘Inner Voices’ is one of the lighter tracks, although lighter in this context is something of a relative concept. I mean this musically of course. The words are a different issue. It has, if you need some sort of ‘sounds like’, hints of Portishead. Although it’s hugely jazz influenced, the drumming on this track is particularly lovely.

It is with ‘Dig’ that I started to find this album really hard to listen to. It’s relentless, it’s dark and oppressive. Jemma’s voice is also prominent in this track and she uses a tone that is close to screaming in pain, it’s tortured. As it is musically. The track gradually reaches a peak of frenzied drumming. ‘Fear Machine’ continues with that relentless oppressive feel. Over a backing that features a bassy synth line that I actually found quite scary, Jemma alternatively spits out words and sings with a scared tone. It sounds, quite bizarrely, like late-period King Crimson in places.

‘Anchors’ is sparse, although it has this synth sound that gave me a feeling of huge pressure in the top of my head (this is one of the things I get when I have surges of PTSD – this is my personal way of describing what happens when my PTSD takes over my head). It sounds, like a person in pain mentally, if you’ll forgive that interpretation. ‘Spawn’ is spidery and stalking. Jemma talk sings over this.

So I have reached the halfway point of the album. Given how this album makes me feel I need to take a break to get myself together. Listening to the whole album in one hit is quite a difficult thing for me to do, if I’m honest.

So I’m back. ‘Black Gravity’ has something of a dubby feel to its triphop. Musically it’s less oppressive, less dark. It’s changing in feel. Although less dark musically it’s pretty relentless, its very length (nearly 6 minutes) makes for something that piles on the pressure, as does the build in the later stages of the track.

There is something very jazz about ‘Eat Your Heart Out’, Jemma uses this very jazz singer voice over the triphoppy backing in places. Musically it’s beautiful. ‘Immoral Playground’ feels very personal lyrically. Musically it sounds more of a soundpiece than a song. It has an almost improvised feel to it. The music twists and turns. ‘Pleasure Island’ is again lighter in feel musically. Lyrically it’s not at all light. Jazzy keys over a steady beat. And Jemma really stretches out vocally.

Album closer ‘Finally’ slightly reminds me vocally and musically of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Lyrically this is complex and deep. Musically it soars in places, in places it’s introverted and intimate.

Having not heard anything by freese tro before musically the tracks on this album impressed me hugely. It’s inventive, accomplished and brilliantly put together. I did however, and this happens very seldom, really want lyrics in front of me when I was listening to the tracks. The words are incredibly important. I’m going to be returning to the tracks as often as I can bear to continue to ‘hear’ more of them.

Feel wise – from a personal angle – it really does musically describe how PTSD makes you feel. Not all of it for me, the effects of that are going to be personal to each person with it, but much of it. As a result I found it a difficult listen. For those of you that don’t have the personal experience this album is going to help you know what it is to have PTSD. It’s not going to be be an easy listen for some of you, but it’s incredibly rewarding. I think it’s important that artists cover mental health issues in their music, many people are going to have conditions or know somebody that does, so it’s a universal subject. I applaud Jemma for tackling this important issue.

I recommend this album, it’s important. However you’re going to need to play the tracks more than once to get the full experience, there’s so much going on in each one that you hear new things every time you listen. And you’re going to need to actually sit down and listen to this properly, it’s not background music at all.

The info

freese trio met at Leeds College of Music in 2014. They received a place on Manchester Jazz Festival’s Hothouse scheme in 2018 and Jazz North’s ‘Northernline’ scheme in 2019.

‘the beast in the blue print’ delves into the effects of trauma: using metaphors to describe PTSD and patterns in behaviour, thoughts and emotions based on personal experiences.

Jemma says, “Each composition delves into inner demons and truths that allow the audience to be reflective and gives them space to experience vulnerability. Each track tells its own story, with an underlying thread tying it all together; a blend of triphop, jazz and grunge to create a new genre of darkness: owning and exploring your own darkness.”

Keyboards, Vocals & Composer: Jemma Freese
Bass & Electronics: Chris Sellers
Drums & Percussion: Theo Goss

Gigs

Date: Friday 13th September 2019
Time: 5pm (Running Time 45 mins)
Venue: Sun Square, Lancaster Jazz Festival

Date: Wednesday 18th September 2019
Time: 8pm (Running Time 30 mins)
Venue: Bobiks, Newcastle

Date: Friday 20th September 2019
Time: 8pm (Running Time 60 mins)
Venue: Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds

Date: Friday 11th October 2019
Time: 8pm (Running Time 60 mins)
Venue: Northern Quarter, Huddersfield

Date: Thursday 7th November 2019
Time: 8pm (Running Time 60 mins)
Venue: The Lantern, Halifax

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www.freesetrio.bandcamp.com

Cafe Aspen are one of those ‘wish I’d known what this band do before now, this is glorious stuff’ bands. They promise us a mix of influences and these three tracks deliver on that promise.

EP opener ‘Phantom’ is kinda psychedelic, sort of alternative rock but it has this slightly dreamy quality to it. The guitar on this track rocks. But what tipped it from ‘I rather like this’ to ‘I bloody love this’ is the vocals. The vocals are great – Will has this slightly synth pop voice, look you’re going to have to listen to the track to get what I mean by that.

‘Afflictions’ may start with this quiet dreamy thing but it explodes into life. The guitar is raw, it sears. But this song has a tune, a tune that worms its way into your head. Somewhere in there it’s poppy. And it’s damn danceable people, you’d have to lose your shit but you could and should.

EP closer ‘Fuel For The Addict’ continues what Cafe Aspen do, there’s guitar to die for, but it has a tune. It’s actually really poppy at it’s heart. Quite how you’d describe this I have no idea – it has this really psychedelic section but it’s kinda alternative rock.

These three tracks rock. The playing and the vocals are way cool. They deliver tunes to die for, guitar to submerge yourself in and a mix of influences that’s put together into something that’s definitely ‘what Cafe Aspen’ do. And although the tracks don’t all sound the same, there’s a sound you can define as the band’s sound across them.

Go listen now people.

Physical copies of the EP are available through social media and the band’s website.

The info

A tasty blend of influences and styles. Hypnotic psychedelic riffs, funked up punchy bass lines, gritty, tight drums, all brought together with introspective lyrics.

Cafe Aspen are:

Will Kitching – Vocals
George Carnell – Lead Guitar
Dennie Normanton – Rhythm Guitar
Jake Foster – Bass
Dan Nicholson – Drums.

https://www.facebook.com/CafeAspenBand
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https://www.instagram.com/CafeAspenBand https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GPabh6i4vvd19zoXITnr4

Upcoming gigs

Chesterfield Rocks for Musicians Against Homelessness @ The County Music Bar 28.9.19
Headlining Shakespeares in Sheffield 12.10.19

Plus more to be confirmed/announced.

This release from Huddersfield’s Boxteles – who I’m fairly sure I saw at The Parish (although not all of their set) – is one of those alternative/indie rock songs – that, in this case, is more indie rock with hints of alternative rock in there. Yep to a degree it does that loud quiet thing, but it also has something of a 60s’ pop feel to it in there as well.

The great thing about this track is that it has a tune that drills its way into your head and sticks there. It’s incredibly earwormy. It’s also up there in terms of playing, Boxteles are a band who know what they’re doing. The guitar on this song rocks. I’ve also developed a particular fondness for the vocals.

It’s really well put together, it has sections with different feels but it all sounds really smooth. Sometimes it goes all alternative rock, in the midst of that indie sound. Or if you want to think about it in a different way, it’s a raucous indie rock. However you think about it, this track is fantastic.

There are times when all you need is a slab of guitar driven rock with a great tune, this Boxteles’ song does that. This is great stuff.

Tranqua Lite picked the, let’s call it intimate, Oporto as the homecoming final date on their tour. Given the fact that it was close to selling out on the day of the gig, it promised to be a hot one. It was. Chatting to Toby – Tranqua Lite’s bass player – before the gig he told me that the band are planning on taking some time out from playing live to write. So this was to be their last gig, apart from the occasional one, for some time. End of tour, homecoming and the last gig for some time, you’d expect fireworks, we got them.

There are times when you just sit there amazed and mesmerised by an artist, I had that experience with Dilettante. Performing solo – she also has a band – Francesca uses loops to weave together something that is sometimes jazzy and sometimes, I’d guess you’d call it, alt-pop. I’d been ‘warned’ that she would be using a saxophone as well as guitar, I hadn’t been told she would also be using clarinet. This makes what she does unique, at least I’ve never seen or heard anything like it.

I have to admit that my appetite for artists that use loops is somewhat jaded but Francesca uses them in inventive and, at times, mind-boggling ways – I tried at one point to actually work out how she was doing it but couldn’t. The way she uses her voice to create music is to be honest incredible. And what a voice she has. It’s ‘can’t take your ears off her’ fantastic. That combined with the waterfall of sounds makes for something that is sit and watch and listen in amazement.

She was battling through illness that night and she was brilliant. What she’d be like when she was feeling better I can only imagine. What she does is quietly beautiful. Go she her play, either solo or with her band.

Caro are one of those ‘I’ve heard of them but never seen them’ bands. So it’s very much a first impression time for this review. They play what is a kind of indie/alternative rock. So far much of a muchness. What marks Caro out as a band you should see is that they have these lovely hints of what I can only describe as jazziness. And their songs don’t do what you quite expect them to do, they take off in unexpected directions. Add to this some quite wonderful guitar playing, and you have something that is special.

Not only that but Caro put on a show, there was banter, there was audience participation (and this included rehearsing that, a quite fantastic thing). They have a variety of feels to their songs, it’s not all one sound or one feel which is great. Caro are a band I want to see again.

And now to Tranqua Lite. By the time they came on The Oporto was packed. The buzz in the crowd was at fever pitch. And when they started to play it was amazing. From the get-go the band played a blinder.

Somehow the band that I first saw at Santiago ages ago have turned into one mean indie-dance machine. They are so damn fucking funky people. Percussion and beats feature hugely. It’s can’t keep your body still stuff, and that extends to the band who jut don’t stop moving unless they actually need to be still to play, and even then barely.

The songs are so well put together, the playing is great and the vocals are a joy. And amid all that what can only be described as chaos on The Oporto’s small stage the band throw some complex music at us. Yes it’s funky, yes it’s music to get down to, but it’s complex in the way it’s put together. This is the brilliant thing about Tranqua Lite’s music, you can ‘just’ listen to it and be hugely audibly satisfied, dare you to try to do that though.
If you haven’t checked out Tranqua Lite I urge you to do that as soon as possible. Do try and see them live, although you might have to wait for a while, they’re a joy live.

All photos on this page © Frank Roper Photography