Attrition – TORU – Wardruna – Anna B Savage – Edvard Graham Lewis – Weed Demon – Vamberator – RØRY – Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains – album reviews

This time in between listening to the biggies, Mogwai and FKA Twigs which I didn’t review as they have been reviewed everywhere and what’s been said is mostly what I thought anyway, inbetween listening to them I have been listening to this lot. Attrition have let loose three tracks to the world to be remixed and the results are ‘as diverse as an industrial festival on acid’. TORU who ‘push the boundaries of noise rock by exploring sonic territories at the intersection of experimental metal, noise, and electroacoustics.’ The brilliant Wardruna with their ‘work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker, and her battles here on earth.’ Anna B Savage with ‘a record that is as much about healing as it is an unbowed sense of curiosity, and, more simply, “a love letter to a man and to Ireland.”’ Edvard Graham Lewis’ ‘exciting album of majestic, experimental pop.’ Weed Demon and their ‘sludged-out stoner doom with death/thrashing atrocity, often weaving through hallucinatory dungeon synth passages.’ Vamberator which is ‘an eclectic, adventurous, and jubilant but coherent mix of pop, soul, indie, funk, glam, art-rock, R&B, psychedelia and so much more. Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains give us an album which ‘is deeply influenced by the loss of his father during the pandemic, exploring themes of memory and heritage.’- RØRY’s new album on which she’s ‘she’s shattering every industry expectation and proving it’s never too late. Have a read and listen below and don’t hesitate to argue about them.

Attrition – Various Artists – A Permanent View? Black Maria Remixed

There’s well over an hour of music here, and it’s a pay what you feel release too. Martin has released three Attrition tracks from the last album into the wild and when they came home again, from all over the world, their friends had fundamentally changed them all. Start by listening to the Black Maria again and then take a long deep dive into the world of darkwave, darkness and weirdness. I’m not going through all the mixes, that’s for you to do. What I will do is say that they get odder and stranger as they go on. Everything from minimal beats amd buried vocals to waves of static and massive abrasive hammer blows. It’s a perfect companion to the album and well worth an hour of anyone’s time.

Toru – Velours D​é​vorant

Cruel Nature

Toru have created something quite spectacular. Here’s a selection of my notes on this release that may sum it up for you. I’m unsure if free jazz metal is a thing, but this feels like it should be called that, although maybe labeling this disintegration is unwise. It’s like Krautrock got wasted and decided to play a gig. An aging restrained grandeur, like a seafront hotel battered and bruised, cracked plaster and leaking windows. Plus, to sum it all up I would say don’t look over your shoulder you never know what’s behind you. Hope that helps, I advise purchasing it.

Wardruna – Birna

Music For Nations

I really like Wardruna, mesmerising harmonies and chanting, low emotional singing and that’s before you start on the music. This takes you gliding through a frozen lake on a longship, standing on a mountainside watching a bear walk past you, close enough to touch, the red claw and last screams of nature and the green leaves above it all. It’s beautiful.

Anna B Savage – You I Are Earth

City Slang

The cover shows Anna’s face surrounded by moss and greenery, it’s a beautiful image and echoes of the sentiments in this recording. It’s soft, delicate and fragile. Her voice is what you focus on, whether singing, whispering into your ear from behind or emotional and loving. It’s what makes this record very special. Sit outside and put this on and watch the trees grow.

Edvard Graham Lewis – ALREET

Upp Records

This is a carefully constructed electronic layered musical adventure which has come from the mind of a member of the most idiosyncratic of British Post Punk pioneers Wire. The easiest way to describe it is odd. Odd and Weird, and odd, did I say weird? I cannot understate just how strange this sounds, it’s like pop done by someone who really doesn’t want to make pop music. It’s really really odd.

Weed Demon – The Doom Scroll

Electric Valley Records

I’m not feeling this one, maybe I’ve not smoked enough of the demon reefer but it is just leaving me cold. I do like stoner music as a rule but this isn’t really anything new and adventurous, probably because it’s too stoned. Sorry people, not my thing at all.

RØRY – RESTORATION

This is a vindication of a life turned around, of accepting happiness and a life you never expected. The anger and hatred turned into love for a family but the bitterness and pain of the journey to where she is now is ingrained into this music. It is emotional and hard core. The music goes from massive riffs and noise to acoustic strumming, the vocals are messed about with and epic. But it ends with RØRY talking to us, a real message of hope.

Vamberator – Age of Loneliness

Unifaun Productions and Maracash Records

This features members of Shelleyan Orphan and The Cure, which gives you a very good idea of what it’s going to sound like. Goth tinged pop music with enough quirks and oddities to keep the fans interested. I’m about halfway sold on this one, some of it is charming and interesting, the rest I could leave behind. But I can see the audience for this and they will love it, I already know who I am recommending it to. So if goth tinged pop is your thing, you will love it.

Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains – Âge Fleuve

InFiné

This is infectious French pop music, muffled beats lead into latin disco. Gentle rhythms lead into strumming guitars and drums, the music though is just the way in, it’s the voice that hooks you and gets under your fingernails. French, clear and soulful, I have no idea what is being sung but can pick up on the emotions on display. It’s how pop should be, a good album.

Attrition’s website is attrition.co.uk/. They are on Facebook and Instagram.

TORU are on Facebook.

Anna B Savage is on Instagram and Facebook.

Wardruna’s website is wardruna.com they are also on Facebook and Instagram.

Edvard Graham Lewis is on Bandcamp.

Weed Demon are on Instagram and Facebook.

Vamberator are on Facebook and Instagram.

RØRY is on Facebook and Instagram.

Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains are on Instagram and Facebook.

All words by Adrian Bloxham.

Adrian Bloxham

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