THE BLACK ANGEL: Phosphene Dream (Sheer Sound)
Founded in May 2004, the Black Angels made a name for themselves with their 2006 debut album, Passover, which saw them drawing inspiration from Spaceman 3, the Velvet Underground and the 13th Floor Elevators.
With the psychedelic drone of their guitars and militaristic lyrical content, the band was welcomed into a scene that included the Warlocks, Black Mountain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Four years later the band recently released their third album, Phosphene Dream, and they are branching out. Don’t get me wrong, the band’s signature sound hasn’t changed, the songs are a little shorter and the endless grinding out of riffs has been curtailed a bit, but the general feel of the Black Angels remains intact. If anything the new album brings the Black Angels closer to the work of Liverpool’s psychedelic mavericks Clinic.
Yellow Elevator #2 sounds like a Holly Golightly song channelled through the Fun House-loving aesthetic of the band, and Sunday Afternoon is a classic Sixties rave-up in the spirit of the Yardbirds. The band’s lead single, Telephone, is a garage-rock stomper driven by some juicy organ, which is again reminiscent of Golightly, whereas Phosphene Dream offers a Pink Floydesque take on garage rock. If you are looking for a solid dose of psychedelic rock to while away your summer holidays, this, too, might just be what you are looking for. — Lloyd Gedye
MALACHAI: Ugly Side of Love (Just Music)
Hailing from Bristol, Malachai offer a bizarre hybrid of psychedelic garage rock, hip-hop, dub-step and roots reggae spun into a sample of heavy lo-fi fusion. Because of these diverse influences, listening to their debut album, Ugly Side of Love, for the first time can be a little off-putting but perseverance will pay off as the lack of respect the duo show for general song structure becomes rather endearing.
Frontman Gee Ealey’s scattershot delivery is unique and beat man Scott Hendy offers up some great samples to create a unique and engaging soundtrack for Ealey to run riot over. So who do we have to thank for bringing this insane new band to our attention? Well, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, of course, as he has acted as a kind of a mentor to the band and released their album on his own Invada imprint earlier this year, before Domino Records picked it up.
“There’s no Bristol ‘scene’ as such but there’s a lot of people making music here so heads know to produce something unique,” says Ealey. “In this industry you’re supposed to choose your weapon and keep in your lane, but the last thing I want to do is repeat myself. My generation grew up under a flag that had been hijacked by all the wrong people, but during my lifetime I’ve seen much to be proud of and it needs to be reclaimed,” says Ealey.
“England is the Beatles, the Kinks, Del Boy and roast dinners but it’s also the Specials, Asian Dub Foundation, Desmonds, the Kumars and chicken tikka masala.” So while Ealey and Hendy celebrate this new vision of Englishness, pick up this debut album and join them for the crazy ride. — LG
SUZANNE VEGA: Close-Up (Vol 1), Love Songs, & Close-Up (Vol 2), People and Places (Sheer Sound)
If your only contact with folk star Suzanne Vega was through her hits Luka and Tom’s Diner, you’ve led an impoverished life.
But don’t fear. Help is on the way in the form of a four-part series of stripped-down albums by this most underrated of female folk singers. Making albums since 1985, Vega’s decision to “reinvent” her singles into acoustic a cappella versions was partly a practical one.
She wanted to own her music as her first label has the copyright to some original mixes. Plus, mid-recession and on her own label, she needs to keep the cash flowing. But the best art is borne of necessity and the first two albums to be released will seduce you.
If you’re an old fan, you’ll love the gorgeous simplicity of the tracks, stripped of everything but the guitar and leaving plenty of room for her warm, soulful voice.
Here be the spiritual roots of modern-day heroines like Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Aimee Mann. Favourites include the bluesy-inflected Caramel off the Love Songs disc, and the fairy tale-like narrative of The Queen and the Soldier off People and Places, the second disc.
The original songs may have been known for their electronic-folk beats but this collection proves Vega’s voice needs no bells and whistles. — Verashni Pillay