Category Archives: Record Club

March 21, 2013 · 7:00 am

Record Club: Emma Louise – VS Head VS Heart

Anyone who has heard this album is probably not surprised that I really like it. It’s got a number of musical aspects which I regularly write about. Heavenly vocals, ethereal  minimal electronics and subtle but brilliant songwriting. The whole record is soft and understated, the production is outstanding, it feels like a complete body of work which I love in a record and feel is very important. You can tell that the whole thing has been incredibly well crafted, time has been taken with every sound, every beat, every lyric.

Emma Louise has been on my radar for a while now, her track ‘Jungle‘ caught a lot of attention, but surprisingly, and maybe quite sensibly, she’s chosen to miss it off the album. Instead replacing it for tracks like ‘Atlas Eyes’, ‘Boy’ and ‘Freedom’, which still contain that pop sensibility in the songwriting, but also fit in with the calm, dreamy texture of the rest of the record.

The overall emotion of the record manages to be sad and reflective while also remaining light and beautiful. Ballad ‘Stainache’ is one of the highlights, while tracks like opener ’17 Hours’, ‘Braces’ and ‘To Keep Me Warm’ add to the overall shape of the record. It feels so whole, so well thought through, which is something I often feel is missing from modern records.

This may just be my favourite record of the year so far, it’s certainly the only one I have played repeatedly.

The record is released on 22nd March in Australia and I have no idea when it is released in the UK, but I shall be getting a copy shipping over from down under. You can order a physical copy here, and for those of you lucky enough to be in sunny Australia, it is also available on iTunes.

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March 5, 2013 · 8:00 am

Record Club: Rhye- Woman

When I first heard the track ‘Open’ by Rhye, I think I fell a little in love. The lush strings which open the track make way for the sexy, smooth and helplessly gorgeous song, and with every new verse, I continue to melt. Could they ever top that song? Could they make an album full of songs as great as ‘Open’, and also the incredible second single ‘The Fall’? Well, no they haven’t, ‘Open’ and ‘The Fall’, which are the first two tracks on the record are also the best two, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a good album.

The rest of the Rhye record takes on more of an electronic-pop sound. The songs are still gorgeous and catchy, but just not quite as head-over-heels gorgeous as ‘Open’. ‘Last Dance’ and ’3 Days’ are particularly single worthy, while some of the other tracks add an artistic edge. ‘One of those Summer Days’ sounds as dreamy and lazy as a hot summer day. The experimental jazz-like instrumentation is subtle and strange but gives the track that perfect mood which the lyrics describe. ‘Major Minor Love’ shows off Milosh’s vocal tones, while final track ‘Woman’ heads back to the orchestral realms of ‘Open’ and is probably my favourite track after the first two.

This record is not the commercial, pop record you might have expected from the hype around Rhye, but it’s completely original and understated. It’s also definitely a grower, so give it the time it deserves.

Woman is out now, you can buy it from iTunes or Rough Trade.

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March 4, 2013 · 8:00 am

Record Club: Laura Mvula- Sing to the Moon

I first saw Laura Mvula at Camden Crawl in May 2012 (see my review here). I had no idea who she was and I don’t think anyone else in the room did either. But she blew me away. She was shy, endearing, and clearly unaware of her massive talent. At the end of the show I asked her what her name was and wrote in my phone ‘Laura Muvula’. When I looked for her online presence I found nothing at all, not even anything on the ATC management website, and it was their showcase she played at.

Some months later, she appeared again. With a song called ‘She‘ which I must admit I didn’t really take to at first. Then it all started happening pretty quick for her, bloggers loved it and she was nominated for the Brits Critic Choice award. A few months after that we have now got her full length debut, Sing to the Moon.

And oh boy what a debut. Sing to the Moon is everything you want in a first record; confident, unique and a showcase of an incredible new talent. From the opening lines of ‘Like the Morning Dew’ you feel like you have entered a brand new sound world. Sitting somewhere between Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Nina Simone and traditional gospel music, Laura Mvula’s songwriting is catchy and effortless. She is clearly an incredibly naturally gifted writer, and this shines through particularly in the arrangements of the music. The strange us of an almost brass band lead orchestra works incredibly well, and adds to the albums feel of ‘this is something that has never been done before’.

I could go through every track on this record, but every single one is as brilliant as the next. My personal favourite is current single ‘Green Garden’, which is guaranteed to be one of the anthems of this summer. Title track ‘Sing to the Moon’ is also rather special.

Laura Mvula has made the first great album of the year, don’t pass her off as another Rumer or Duffy, she’s got a lot more to her. Like this record, her talent is layered and intricate, and must be listened to to be appreciated. As someone wrote on twitter, ‘Can I live in the Laura Mvula record?’

Sing to the Moon is released today, and you can purchase it from iTunes or Rough Trade.

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February 25, 2013 · 8:00 am

Record Club: Marika Hackman- That Iron Taste

I’ve given lots of hints on this blog and also in my Twitter feed that I really, really like this record. Now it is time to declare my full love for the mini album, ‘That Iron Taste’ is probably my favourite record of the year so far. Marika Hackman was one of my Ones to Watch for 2013, and unfortunately failed to make it onto many other peoples lists. However, I was adamant that she was something very special and with the release of this EP, I would like to think that I was right.

The record at only 7 tracks long, is a taster of Marika’s talents. Produced part by Charlie Andrew (Alt-J) and part by Johnny Flynn, she’s been in good hands in the making. The production is exquisite and shows how interesting you can make singer-songwriters sound if you put a bit of effort in. It seems like every single female singer-songwriter out there is compared to Laura Marling, and I am pleased to say that you can’t do that with Marika Hackman, her sound is her own.

Opening track Bath is Black sets the tone for what is not a conventional record. The unusual percussive sounds contrast wonderfully with Marika’s mellow voice. Mountain Spires and You Come Down have previously been released as a 7″ single, and these are the two tracks produced by Johnny Flynn and so naturally are more folky in there composition but still encompass that signature songwriting of Marika, both dark, dreary and quirky in it’s own way.

Cannibal is the highlight of the record, it’s the best written song and least obscure sounding. If you hear any of this on the radio, it’s likely to be this song. I do have a secret love for Retina Television though, which was recorded completely using sounds of Marika’s voice and body. It sounds like nothing else you’ve ever heard and the beauty of the song adds a softness to the record, which in places has a industrial sounding edge.

This is an interesting, exciting and daring record from such a young singer songwriter. It shows incredible natural creativity and talent and I am very intrigued to see what she will do next.

‘That Iron Taste’ is released today on Dirty Hit, click here to download if from iTunes.

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January 29, 2013 · 8:00 am

Record Club: Adam Green and Binki Shapiro

Binki Shapiro (Little Joy) and Adam Green have teamed up for a rather charming collaboration. The record is filled with catchy, classic songwriting, resonating Serge Gainsbourg and Dusty Springfield. Both have unique voices but they blend wonderfully. If you were a fan of the (amazing) Little Joy record a few years ago you may like this, although it doesn’t include all those wonderful Spanish influences.

You can currently stream the whole record over on The Guardian or purchase it from Rough Trade.

Favourite Tracks:  Just to Make You Feel Good, If You Want Me To, Pleasentries.

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January 23, 2013 · 8:00 am

Record Club: Christopher Owens- Lysandre

Welcome to a new Flying with Anna feature, my Record Club. It’s pretty simple really, I will be posting semi-reviews about new records I like (I’m too lazy to write proper album reviews so this is a sort of compromise). I’ll post some tracks from the record and then you can go away and listen to it. All the albums will be recently released or about to be released (depending on how ahead of the game I am). It’s not really a ‘club’ as I’m the only member, but if you do want to join in head to my Twitter or Facebook or Comment below. It’ll be nice.

So here is Numero Uno of my Record Club, Mr. Christopher Owens.

When Christopher announced he was leaving Girls I was pretty heartbroken. They produced 2 incredible full-lengths and a rather good EP. It seemed like they were onto something rather iconic, and for them to end so suddenly was a shock to the world of alternative music. But alas, it wasn’t long before frontman and songwriter Christopher Owens was back on the scene with a solo record, Lysandre, which was released last week.

My reaction to the record is mixed. I love bits of it, and hate others. The flute drives me insane after a while, I don’t understand the purpose of ‘Rivera Rock’ and it needs more electric guitar. But what’s undeniable is the great songwriting. You cannot fault the record on that. The result is something that you enjoy but can’t listen to more than once a day.

A nice interlude between Girls and what’s to come. But please Christopher, burn the flute, pick up that electric guitar and make another groundbreaking record.

Favourite tracks: A Broken Heart, Here we Go Again.

Lucky for you, you can stream the whole record over on The Line of Best Fit. You can also purchase it from Rough Trade Records.

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