Uncut UK – October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 • UNCUT• 33

THENIROFEATURING

GARYLUCAS

TheCompleteJeffBuckley
& GaryLucas Songbook
ESORDISCO

6/10

Buckley-relatedstuffyou’ve
never heardbefore...
Aftera spellin
Lucas’sbandGods
andMonsters,Jeff
Buckleyusedtwo
oftheguitarist’s
instrumental
compositionsasthetemplatesfor
“MojoPin”andthetitletrackof
Grace, creditinghimonthealbum
for“magicalguitarness”.Here
Lucashasre-recordedthesongs
theyco-wrotewithItalianvocalist
DavideCombusti(knownasthe
Niro).It’simpossiblenottocompare
Combusti’svoicewithBuckley’s,and
theversionsof“Grace”and“Mojo
Pin”areinevitablyfoundwanting.But
amongthefivepreviouslyunrecorded
songs,theepic“NoOneMustFind
YouHere”(“our‘Kashmir’,”according
toLucas)andtheimpressionistic“In
TheCantina”arebeautifullysung
andshouldappealtomorethanjust
hardcoreBuckleycompletists.
NIGELWILLIAMSON

ONETRUEPAIRING
OneTrue Pairing
DOMINO

7/10

Soloone-man-bandprojectfrom
Wild Beasts’TomFleming
Thegruff,baritone-
voicedTom
Flemingis oneof
twosingersfrom
thelate,lamented
Cumbrianart-rockers
WildBeasts.Thissolodebutsees
himworkingwithina verylimited
sonicpalette– doomy,minor-key
constructionsfeaturingdistorted
rhythmguitarriffsplayedovera gridof
’80ssynthsanddrummachines.These
canbeeffectivewhenpairedwithgrim
lyricsofsmall-townrealism:theCure-
like“Weapons”paintsa pictureof
maleviolencebeingperpetuatedfrom
fathertoson;“DawnAtTheFactory”
readslikeanAlanSillitoeshortstory
settoa late-eraDepecheModesong;
while“EliteCompanion”is a pieceof
glitchy,pitch-black gothic electronica.
JOHNLEWIS

THEPARANOYDS
CarnageBargain
SUICIDESQUEEZE

6/10

FuzzyLAfour-piecewith
hook-filled debut
There’sa trashy,
thrashyqualityto
thissoliddebutfrom
theParanoyds,an
LAfour-piecewho
sometimesrecall
thedeadpanstreamlinedsoundof
Elasticaontrackssuchas“Girlfriend
Degree”, “Courtney” and “Face

First”– andthat’snotjustbecauseof

theirthree-women,maledrummer

lineup.Thebandaretooinlovewith

thedeliciouslyuncoolfeeloffuzzever

topassaspurepost-punksthough,

andthegroupincreasinglyflirtwith

thehair-metalendofCalifornian

punkontrackssuchas“Laundry”,

therockabilly-edged“EggSalad”,

muscularrocker“HeatherDoubtfire”

andneo-glamcloser “Ratboy”.

P ETE RWATTS

MIKEPATTON&

JEAN-CLAUDEVANNIER

CorpseFlower

IPECACIPECAC

8/10

Anunlikelycollaborationbears

strange andwonderfulfruit

Theeccentric

frontmanofFaithNo

MoreandMrBungle

mightnotseemthe

mostimmediate

choicetoteamup

withthecomposer/arrangerbest

knownforSergeGainsbourg’sHistoire

DeMelodyNelson. AndyetPatton

andVannierprovetobea perfect

match:afterall,theformershares

Gainsbourg’sscatologicalfascination

andurgetooutrage,andknowswhen

toletVannier’ssingularmusictake

thespotlight.Theswoopingstrings

andEscher-likemelodicstructures

of“Camion”and“YardBull”are

reassuringlyfamiliartoVannier

enthusiasts,while“ColdSunWarm

Beer”is asabrasiveasthecomposer’s

1972 opus,L’EnfantAssassinDe

Mouches. Pattonrisestotheoccasion

throughout,tryinghisbestFranglais

on“Chansonsd’Amour”andsome

tongue-in-cheek crooning on “Pink

AndBleue”,withitsunforgettablefirst

line:“WhenI drinktoomuch/I shit my

pants...”TOMPINNOCK

SANDROPERRI

SoftLanding

CONSTELLATION

8/10

Torontoavant-popguitarist

takes his sweettime

SandroPerriis nota

musicianina hurry.

Thetitletrackfrom

lastyear’sInAnother

Life, withitsstrong

echoesofArthur

Russell,unspooledoverthecourse

of 25 gorgeousminutes.Here,“Time

(YouGotMe)”is similarlylanguorous,

gentlyticklingtheearsforatleast 10

minutesafterPerristopssinging.

TherestofSoftLanding’s songsare

moreconventional,with“BackOn

Love”eventracinga suaveBrill

Buildingmelody,althoughallareset

adriftonripplesofeddyingguitarand

lazytropicalpercussion.Inanangry,

impatientworldit takesrealdedication

tocarveoutspaceformusic this

blissful.SAMRICHARDS

RODPICOTT

TellTheTruth&

ShameThe Devil

WELDINGROD

8/10

Savage, no-frillsfolkplatter

Worldviewscanshift

afternear-death

experiences,andso

roots-rockvetRod

Picott’srecenthealth

issueshaveledhim

intothedarkhumancondition,and

anintrospectionrarelyexplored.A

dozenhomerecordings– justguitar,

harmonicaandgritty,distraught

vocals– comeonlikeSpringsteen’s

Nebraska, butwiththeprotagonists’

brainsclatteringallaroundmemories,

mistakes,life’smessyexistence.

Shameandself-doubt,despairand

regret,sunkendreamsandsuicide

weavethroughit all,whilememories

ofchildhood,paintedindetailinsongs

suchas“Mama’sBoy”and“Bailing”,

hover closeby.LUKE TORN

PIXIES

BeneathTheEyrie

INFECTIOUS/BMG WORLDWIDE

6/10

Album three,phasetwo

Pixiesare,ofcourse,

inanimpossible

position.Therewas

a period,around

30 yearsagonow,

duringwhichthey

werethebestrock’n’rollbandinthe

world:therehavebeen,beforeand

since,fewrunsoffouralbumsto

comparewithwhatwasbookended

bySurferRosaandTrompeLeMonde.

BeneathTheEyrieis thethirdalbum

byPixies2.0– theoriginalbandminus

KimDeal,plusPazLenchantin.It

sufferssomewhatfrominevitably

diminishingreturns,inthatit simply

isn’tanywherenearasgoodastheir

canonicalrecords;thatsaid,notmuch

is,andthelikesof“GraveyardHill”

and“StNazaire”areevocativeenough

echoesoftheoriginal thunderclap.

ANDREWMUELLER

THERAILS

CancelThe Sun

THIRTYTIGERS

7/10

Thefamilytradition

diligently upheld

Itis nodisrespectto

thetwomembersof

theRailstosuggest

thattheirprojectsets

itselfanunusually

severetaskto

surmountthesumofitsparts.The

RailsareKamiThompson,daughter

ofRichardandLindaandsisterof

Teddy,andJamesWalbourne,guitarist

withthePretenders,thePoguesand

SonVolt.CancelTheSun, themarried

couple’sthirdalbum,producedby

StephenStreet,is notablyrockierthan

itsmorepastoralpredecessorsand

allthefinerforit.“TheInheritance”

and“WaitingOnSomething”radiate

thesnarlandswaggerofThompson’s

parentscircaShootOutTheLights;

“Dictator”and“MossyWell”showan

enduringconnectionwith the Rails’

Englishfolkroots.

ANDREW MUELLER

Sandro

Perri

MikePatton

andright,

Jean-Claude

Vannier

JEN PARKER