It may sound a little unusual, even awkward to begin reviewing an album of a musician by mentioning first the outstanding work of some other musician. It may resonate disrespectful and abusive. Anyway, in spite of the aforementioned, that was precisely what happened and if there is someone to be blamed for such thoughts it can only be Aldous Harding’s “Party” (2017). In fact after countlessly listening to such a magnificent album it emerged plausible that it would be really hard, for any musician to surpass the beauty it exhales, acknowledging that equaling it would be also quite a hardship.
Holly Arrowsmith awarded Tui for Best Folk Album 2016 for her debut album ‘For The Weary Traveller’, winning out over the two other finalists, nothing more nothing less than Nadia Reid and Amiria Grenell, just proved that no matter how high the stakes there is always the possibility to go battle for best the possible outcome.
The following piece from afghan sufi mystic poet Rumi «Nothing can help me but that beauty. There was a dawn I remember when my soul heard something from your soul. I drank water from your spring and felt the current take me.» could perfectly work out the spiritual guiding light underlying Holly Arrowsmith second studio album.
“A Dawn I Remember” is an album for all seasons though it might hit harder during Fall-Winter time. There is a recurrent, essential tension that persists all throughout the whole album, a certain blend of unease and disconcert that appropriately makes pair with the painful, sorrowful, feeling that walks Holly Arrowsmith through her dislocation from the rural to the urban, from a quiet, small town to the ferocious, noisy, big city.
The self-imposed uprooting, if we can put it this way, the call to move forward and inherently leave behind a world full of meanings and affections could only lead to a deep sense of permanent longing, the intense desire of settling in a place where she could start anew and give new meanings to an entirely new reality. “A Dawn I Remember” is a truly spiritual journey, an apparition, a religious, epiphany of the unfolding self, seeking new pathways.
Holly Arrowsmith’s “A Dawn I Remember” is decidedly, by full merit of the artist, the most remarkable album to have been released in the aftermath of Aldous Harding “Party” and by far the absolute best indie-folk release of 2018.
Way Shit was formed back in 2017 by Shelley Smith (vocals/guitar), Michael Voulgarellis (bass) and Kevin Baker (drums), they started out gigging the Melbourne area. This year they've released their first two singles and this week the band premiered their debut video clip for the song “Yarraville Mums”.
The video clip, masterfully directed by Naomi Lee Beveridge one of the most aesthetically bold, creative and leading Australian live music photographers, flows smoothly and with a sweet touch of nostalgia through some iconic places, highlighting an atmosphere of cultural diversity and displacement, the changes in the local economy, the loss of affordable housing and the tearing apart from established communities brought by gentrification. A perfect match between music, lyrics and image. An updated piece of the story of transformation in big star cities.
Apart from this week’s video clip premiere, the band have also shared their second officially released single, the infectiously raw, suburban punk anthem, “Don’t Stab Me”, a song about the normalization of violence, often murder, against women and non-binary people. Way Shit are definitely worth to keeping an eye on for forthcoming releases.
A quarter of century ago there was an emerging Sheffield based band, presumably heading for a very successful career. They used to master some jangle, fuzzy, delightful wall of whirl, rippling noise-pop like the best in business and did support bands such as The Orchids, The Television Personalities, Cranes, Catherine Wheel and Curve. In spite of all this, after having released two acclaimed EP's and recorded a John Peel session, familiar matters pushed the band to a long silence of almost two and a half decades since their last gig back in 1993. They are The Suncharms!
In 2016 the band released a CD compilation of the two EPs plus assorted demos and previously unreleased songs.
As a result of all this renewed activity the band decided to get back to rehearsals, play their first gigs in over 20 years and write new music. Red Dust/Film Soundtrack, a AA side 7" is the very product of The Suncharms new and highly welcomed era of famed psychedelic, dream-hazyness.
Most people would hardly disagree that most UK bands come from Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds or Sheffield without acknowledging that for instance cities such like Bristol and in particular, the ever enchanting Brighton. They’re either wrong or enough alienated from what’s going on around them musically speaking, considering that Brighton has in fact an enormously substantial, thrilling and bewitching alternative music history from Mod to Indie with plenty subcultures in between.
This said it can not be much of a surprise that due to its intrinsic vibrant diversity and glamour-by-the-sea, Brighton works out as some type of hub center for emerging bands, which means that from time to time it is more than usual that a blooming band actually comes under the radar because it did manage to add something unique to its sound while others did not. That inevitably enables such bands to not only reach a much wider audience as it generates genuine curiosity from those who can boost the interest in their music. In Brighton’s sonic variegation and why not to say it competitive music scene for a place in the spotlight, there are bands which miss the target and lack that little something to go all the way and stand out while others are so resourceful, predestined to go big that they're pure stardust magic and that is what Thyla’s all about.
Thyla (which is properly pronounced thigh-la) are a four piece band with the common denominator that all its members were relocated to Brighton in order to attend BIMM also known as British And Irish Modern Music Institute. The band formed during college years circa 2015 initially started as a trio consisting of Millie Duthie (guitar/vocals), Danny Southwell (drums), Dan Hole (bass) but soon evolved to a four piece when guitarist Elis Davies joined in. Their first year one of deliberate engagement in Brighton’s music scene for the band to attain a better understanding of the tricks of the trade, watch other bands showcasing, search for a sound of their own and spending hours in a row writing and composing.
Thyla very first would see the light of day during 2016 naturally leading to a rather busy 2017 with «The Shacklewell Arms» headline show, plus the spot at «Alternative Escape Festival», an impressive number of gigs and a handful of singles, not to mention the increasing attention from the music press and most of all the ever growing fan base spanning incredibly all across the European Union, which is something admittedly phenomenal for a band that has not yet released a debut full-lenght or even an extended-play. Since the very first songs we’ve listened by Thyla it’s almost impossible not to reckon that they’re above all a brilliant guitar band that effortlessly manage to rework, re imagine and reinvent the dream-pop, new wave and fiery alt rock rooted in a strong post-punk skeleton.
It is not surprising that Thyla can deliver a set of songs that go from catchy atmospheric guitars to glassy distorted dark driving ones. When one recalls initial tracks such as «Teeth Dreams», «Betty» or «Loveless» and keep an eye on what the band composed afterwards culminating on the latest »I was Biting» and «Blame» but without ever forgetting that anthem of addictive sonic luxury that is «Pristine Dream» and the absolutely beautiful «Ferris Wheels» the idea that becomes recurrent is that Thyla somehow abandoned their early Cocteau Twins and The Smiths sonority and are growingly approaching the soaring sonic euphoria and full stamina of Joy Formidable per opposition to the likes of Wolf Alice or Pumarosa.
Apart from all that’s been said previously it is highly inaccurate to label Thyla as a mere guitar band. Their most valuable asset undeniably is the talented, star quality singer/guitar player Millie Duthie, whose convincing, mature, shiny, vocal performances create a world of rich polyphonic possibilities for the band’s sound. She decidedly is the cherry on top of Thyla’s cake. Millie Duthie is capable of stunningly magnetic appealing vocals just like she does on the infectious «Pristine Dream» and «Ferris Wheels» or on the power and soulful, moderate angst vocals of «I Was Biting» and «Blame» which can parallel her without much difficulty with the young Debbie Harry, with Kate Bush at times, but mostly with Kristin Hersh Tanya Donelly and Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan.
Thyla have everything needed to become one of the most successful newcomer, non-mainstream bands in Europe considering their fame has already crossed way beyond UK borders. Allow me to also emphasize that it is precisely their non mainstream character that can actually help them go big if they feel ready to be the sole purveyors of their own destination. The band seems to be entirely focused both on a definite work ethic and aesthetic coherence without feeling any pressure to release an album just because other bands are doing it.
Thyla can be not only iconic for a whole generation, but the voice of a generation itself. A generation few seem to care about, a generation standing on the crossroad of unknown, unclear, blurred future prospects, a generation that is being soon put off-side European Union with the all the anxieties, perils and certainly challenges such a change implies. Far from being a political band Thyla have been singing about pretty important issues on their songs with their happy-sad equilibrium between music and lyrics that is certainly gathering them praise wherever they play.
