All posts in SIGHTS

Church Party – Isosceles

22/08/2015

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A few weeks ago, I was in the midst of enjoying my morning cycle to work, when I suddenly found myself flailing towards the cold concrete floor, hitting the deck with an almighty thud. The car driver, clearly at fault for the collision, heartlessly left me lying there like I didn’t exist. As a result, my arm is now cushioned in a sling, nursing a dislocated shoulder. This is the first time I’ve felt like writing since the accident, and although typing is a slow painful process, Manchester’s Church Party are certainly worth every word.

I’ve kept a close eye on this band now for the best part of a year, secretly hoping that they would become more than just a couple of promising demos, and it seems like my faith might be rewarded. Dancing confidently on the graveyard of WU LYF’s heavy pop, debut single ‘Isosceles‘ glistens in melodic guitar lines but remains defiantly raw, urgent… Tom Stewart’s yearning vocals disappearing into a state of wasted euphoria and pounding drums. I can already hear the climactic “take me home” echoing in my mind, never to be forgotten.

Swallow Me Whole then takes us into Nick Cave territory, beginning life as a shadowy baritone lullaby, which sways eerily in atmosphere, patiently marching towards something far bigger… it’s underlying menace growing more prominent, before finally unleashing it’s visceral conclusion; an explosion of scuzzy noise and the strained howls of regret and despair.

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https://www.facebook.com/partyatchurch

Phill Young

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Tom Hardwick-Allan – Snakes Fucking

03/07/2015

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A rare pink meadow grasshopper was recently spotted in inner-city Salford by Dr Luke Blazejewski, an independent film-maker and urban wildlife specialist. I can only imagine the excitement he must have felt that day, knowing it’s discovery could be an important piece in understanding, documenting and protecting our environment. It gives us a fascinating insight into how, when left alone, a small ecosystem can be a breeding ground for life at it’s most magical and unique.

When I think about it, what Dr Luke and I do isn’t all that different. For the past 8 years, I’ve tried to document Manchester’s music scene, with it’s sprawling diversity, hidden secrets and ever-changing landscape. Undoubtedly a new name to most, Tom Hardwick-Allan is my latest find, every bit as beautiful as a rare pink grasshopper. From the early raw bedroom demo’s of ‘Li’ and ‘Unwritten Confession 2’, where Tom’s baritone vocal crackles and glows into near oblivion, to his more recent experiments with drone and industrial noise on ‘Cold Clear Sky’ and ‘When You Die I’ll Think Of You As The Sky’; it’s clear to me that there is something special at work here. Still only a teenager, and at times bringing to mind Dean Blunt at his most understated and emotive, these developing ideas are fragmented but undeniably affecting.

‘Snakes Fucking‘ is a bleak but darkly euphoric introduction to his world, with it’s chiming guitars and bellowing trombone, seemingly unsure of itself but unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Using google translate to dehumanise his voice, the unnatural patterns of speech are at odds with the track’s lyrical content, which reveal a painfully intimate cry for help. All too aware of it’s contradictory nature, it’s hard not to find yourself disappearing into Hardwick-Allan’s lonely post-modern depths with relative ease. The video only enhances this experience further, with it’s minimalist and clinical grey room, in stark contrast to the private self-reflection on offer. As the track progresses, a Pinocchio-esque long nose is revealed, perhaps hinting that the lines between the real and the unreal are often closer than you think.

Tom Hardwick-Allan releases debut EP ‘When Waiting’ in August via Tru Luv https://truluv.bandcamp.com/

Photograph by Hanrossta
https://www.facebook.com/hanrossta

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I See Angels – Master of the Sky

04/03/2015

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I guess it irks me a little when I see those (now traditional) click-bait think pieces about the death or “stagnation of guitar music”. I mean, I appreciate the argument being made… the music industry does seem intent on championing the bland over the brave, but surely it’s up to us as music fans to dig a little deeper, to invest in the bands we love?

Living in Manchester, it’s hard to argue against a city that has produced MONEY, Everything Everything, PINS, Kult Country, Dutch Uncles, WU LYF… and that’s not even acknowledging our deep and rich history, or the wider underground scene as it is today. It would be pretty easy to critique each band individually, but what isn’t debatable is that guitar music is well and truly alive here, from the bedsits of Whalley Range to the bunkers of Salford.

I See Angels are one of my more recent Mancunian loves, having been transfixed by last year’s ‘Artificial Sunshine’ EP. Songwriter Paul Baird is clearly growing in confidence, capturing his hopes and fears so beautifully in each and every delicate strum. New track ‘Master Of The Sky’ glistens effortlessly in emotion. Baird’s vocals sound like a trembling Thom Yorke trying to find his way out of a dream… an almost disparate loneliness trapped inside a magical and cinematic landscape.

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Phill Young

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Gangly – Fuck With Someone Else

10/12/2014

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Reykjavík’s Gangly have burst mysteriously into existence with their debut track Fuck With Someone Else, a bewilderingly beautiful and fully formed vision. Of course, the internet is getting VERY excited… but one listen is all it took for me to understand why. Gangly have created an immersive electronic landscape, one that glistens in both darkness and light. It feels like the female/male vocals are dancing with each other, a heart-breaking tension found in the space between them.

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https://www.facebook.com/ganglygangly

Phill Young

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Espher – Insular

09/12/2014

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With the cold winter nights starting to set in, and Christmas fast approaching… I figured it’s the perfect time for me to give my first gift. Tru Luv is proud to announce the release of Insular, a beautiful 3 track electronica EP, by Manchester based Espher. Available to download free now: https://truluv.bandcamp.com/album/tl002-insular-ep.

Lead single ‘To The Sky’ received its premiere to critical acclaim on Clash

On a personal note, my friendship with producer Ben Pearson, goes far beyond an appreciation for his music – although it certainly brought us together. We first met in 2010, when I was promoting The Strange Death Of Liberal England & Patterns (then called Elmo Logic) and a band Ben had been playing with were booked to open. Their songwriter unprofessionally decided to pull out pretty much on the eve of the show. Ben kindly offered to step in with his own project Swansong, and even though he’d never played his own music live before, I was impressed by the performance. Cath Aubergine, a legendary Mancunian music writer, also saw something that night, enough to make me think he was worth keeping an eye on.

A couple of years later and I’d found unexpected musical success in Christian AIDS/Stay Positive, but now I was back in Manchester and in need of a new creative outlet. Ben was in a similar position, and with Moses Gold we found that direction. I knew quite quickly that Ben was a diamond in the rough, his technical ability unquestionable, but what set him apart was the emotional heart at the core of his electronic compositions. An inspiring and passionate man, he was able to bring out the best in me, making me feel comfortable and helping me to believe in myself during my lowest moments. I loved working together on tracks like ‘Powder and Blood’, ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Visions’ … hopefully these creations will stand the test of time.

Espher as an artist in his own right is starting to blossom. His ongoing a/v series of musical Fragments are definitely worth investigating (there are currently 22 tracks on youtube) as a clear insight into the direction he is going, a more minimal and ambient body of work influenced by Nils Frahm. In the New Year, Ben is moving to Australia, and I’m going to miss him not only as a creative partner, but as one of my closest friends. I have every confidence he’s going to continue to do amazing things.

https://www.facebook.com/Espher.music

Phill Young

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Bernard & Edith – WURDS

03/12/2014

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There is no greater pleasure for someone like me, than to see a Mancunian act like Bernard & Edith find themselves in the position of beginning 2015 signed to Bella Union, deservedly about to find bigger audience. I distinctly remember the first time I met vocalist Greta ‘Edith’ Carroll down at the SWAYS Bunker, her warm personality left a real impression, shining brightly in a room full of chattering people… and together with her talented partner, a/v artist Nick ‘Bernard’ Delap, they have created a musical project unlike any other.

This is pop music with a uniquely northern imprint, defined by Greta’s jazz influenced vocal, unconventional and darkly delicious. Nick’s beautifully experimental soundscapes, produced with field recordings and basic instrumentation, add texture and mystery. It’s an artistic marriage made in well… Whalley Range. I’ve done my little bit in supporting Bernard & Edith along the way, having promoted them back in 2013, and written about them here on numerous occasions… so it feels fitting today to support and celebrate the official launch of WURDS at The Eagle Inn, Salford tonight. 8pm

https://www.facebook.com/bernardandedith

‘Wurds’ 7″ available here: http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/prod/Bernard+Edith-Wurds-BellaUnion-100217.html

Phill Young

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