Uncut UK – October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 • UNCUT• 39

THOSEPRETTY

WRONGS

ZedFor Zulu BURGER

8/10

BigStardrummerandDIYauteur
find a magicalconnection
TherequisiteBeatles/
Byrds/BeachBoys
elementsripple
throughthesecond
LPfromMemphis
iconJodyStephens
andCalifornianLutherRussell– but,
unsurprisingly,theydon’tgofar
withouta littleBigStar.TheLPunfolds
ata measuredpace,asStephens’
spiritualruminations,sungwith
understatedformality,aremountedon
Russell’sartfulsoundscapes,setoffby
theirastraltwo-partharmoniesand
underlaidbyStephens’song-serving
drumming.“TimeToFly”evokesthe
statelyfolk-popofAmerica,while“You
AndMe”capturestheluminosityof
ChrisBell’s#1Recordarrangements,
withtheirconjoinedvoicesandthe
silverynotesRussellecstatically
wringsfromBell’sownGibsonES-330
throughhisHiwattamponthislabour
ofloveandtestament of resilience.
BUDSCOPPA

JONAHTOLCHIN
FiresFor The Cold YEP ROC

7/10

Measuredfourthfrom
New Jerseyblues-folkie
Thebluesspokeso
forcefullytotheyoung
JonahTolchinthathe
launchedhiscareer
rightafterhigh-school
graduation,but
there’snothingnaiveabouthismusic.
At 26 he’sa seasonedprofessional,
withrecentlifeexperiencestough
enoughtohavehimdeclaring,“Now
I’vefounda placetostandI’llmove
forwardasa betterman/Watchingas
thedivineplanhasturnedtoashes.”
Thisis a downbeatset,leanand
lonesomeyetnevermorose:there’s
upliftonthepedal-steel-aided“White
ToyotaRanger”andcheeryfiddlesof
“Honeysuckle”,whilea coverofLittle
Feat’s“RollUmEasy”(withJackson
BrowneandRickieLeeJones)strikes
a bittersweet,philosophical note.
SHARONO’CONNELL

TROPICALFUCKSTORM
Braindrops FLIGHTLESS

8/10

MoreexcellentAustralianoddness
from ex-Dronesledrockers
TFSareadept
atbatteringout
exceptionallyfine
recordsfroma variety
ofdisjointedgrooves
andunsettling
moods.GarethLiddiard(previously
ofTheDrones)addsanAustralian
drawltoa disorientatingconcoction
thatattimessoundslikeBeefheart,
PopGroupandSandinista-eraClash,
whileEricaDunntakestheleadfor
“Who’s My Eugene?”, a song about

BrianWilson’svampiricdoctorEugene

Landy.Themesofmindcontrolare

sprinkledthroughouttherecord,

whosehighlightsincludestormy

opener“Paradise”,thesemi-rapped

titletrack,thefunky“ThePlanetOf

StrawMan”andclosingsong“Maria

63”,anepicexplorationofright-wing

conspiracytheories.P ETE RWATTS

ALEXANDERTUCKER

GuildOfTheAsbestos

Weaver THRILL JOCKEY

7/10

Maximalminimalistpop,by

polyglot Englishmaverick

Areliablepresence

intheEnglish

underground,

AlexanderTucker’s

questoverthepast

decade-plushasseen

himworkingwithsomewildfigures

• minimalistCharlemagnePalestine,
  drone-metallerStephenO’Malley.
  WithGuildOfTheAsbestosWeaver, he
  carvesmassivebanksofelectronics
  intoextended,hymnalpopsongs,
  recallingthedream-tonesofRichard
  YoungsandArthurRussell.Tucker’s
  voiceis anacquiredtaste– reedy,
  yearning,it canfeela bitthinattimes,
  thoughit’squitepowerfulwhenhe
  buildsbanksofvocalharmonies.Guild
  takesa fewlistenstoreallyseepin,
  buttherearesometrulyhallucinatory
  momentshere.JONDALE

THEUTOPIASTRONG

TheUtopia Strong ROCKET

7/10

Kosmischeintrospectionfrom 1988

BBC SportsPersonalityOfTheYear

Six-timesworld

championSteve

Davishascertainly

provedhimself

more“interesting”

thanmostretired

sportsmen,thankstohiswell-

documentedlovefor’70ssouland

FrenchproggroupMagma.Now,as

one-thirdofTheUtopiaStrong,he

crossestherubiconfromfantomusic-

maker.Results:surprisinglygood,

thanksinparttoskilledcollaborators

• Cardiacs/GongmanKavusTorabi
  andMichaelJ York– andpartlyto
  Davis’aptitudefordreamymodular
  synthcascadesanDpensivedrone.
  Standoutsarebagpipe-augmented
  ur-technoexcursion“Brainsurgeons
  3”andtheclosing“Moonchild”,
  featuringvocalsfromMedieval
  Baebes’KatharineBlake.LOUIS PATTISON

WHITNEY

ForeverTurned Around

SECRETLYCANADIAN

6/10

Chicago-basedduoholda torch

for ’60s and’70spop

Ifthefirst 12 bars

ofalbumopener

“GivingUp”seem

familiar,it’sbecause

theyallbutmirror

Tommy James & The

Shondells’“CrystalBluePersuasion”.

That’ssortofthedealwiththisband.

TheChicago-basedduoofJulien

Ehrlich(vocals,drums)andMax

Kakacek(guitar),alongwithwell-oiled

backers,havebuilta reputationfor

wearing’60sand’70sFMinfluences

ontheirsleeves.Thegroup’sblendof

softrock,sunshinesoulandtheera’s

singer-songwriters,thoughclearly

studied,is problematicinitslackof

teeth.Eventhemostinoffensivesoft

hitsofthe’70s,like“SummerBreeze”,

aredynamic,withtexturalvocals,

inventiveriffsandanunyielding

groovethatdivesrightintothelistener.

ForeverTurnedAroundhoversina

midrangethat’sobjectivelynice,but

lacksthevigourrequiredofsomething

memorable.ERINOSMON

CHELSEAWOLFE

BirthOf Violence SARGENT HOUSE

7/10

Versatilesongwriterstripsback

the noise onlatest

Aftertheheavysludge

metalofherlast

record,Wolfeditches

themonsterriffsand

embracestender

acousticstrums.

Afteranintenseperiodontheroad,

shedecampedtomakea recordin

nearsolitude,andthesubtlemusical

accompanimentembodiesthis

sense of stillness and introspection.

“AmericanDarkness”glidesalong

witha beautifullyrestrainedbut

engagedvocalasgentlyshuffling

drumstapalongwithwhooshing

melodies,while“DirtUniverse”

unfurlsslowly,withWolfeexpressing

bothanguishandgentlenessinher

delivery.Theresultis analbumthat

displaysWolfe’sversatilityandability

tostirpowerfromwhispersaseasilyas

shedoeshowls.DANIEL DYLAN WRAY

PETEYO R N

Caretakers SHELLY MUSIC

6/10

NewJersey’sotherheartland

poet on solidform

Yorn’sfirstsoloalbum

forthreeyearspicks

upwhereArranging

Timeleftoff,a robust

if notradically

groundbreakingsetof

hook-ladenheartlandAmericanawith

occasionaldetoursintocollegeindie

rock.He’sneverafraidofwearinghis

influencesonhissleeve:“IWannaBe

TheOne”flitsacrossthefloorlikeBob

Mouldona folktroubadourtip;“Opal”

shimmiesandjangleslikeReckoning-

eraREM;whileelsewherehetouches

basewithsuchfamiliarfiguresasLou

Reed,TomPettyandJohnFogerty.

Theconstantis Yorn’shalf-whispered,

confessionalvocal,especiallyalluring

onthemoodystrum of “Friends”.

TE R RY STAU NTO N

NEW ALBUMS

J

onahTolchinis frank

aboutthe“total

fuckingshitstorm”of

experiencesthathithimhard

in 2016andinformedFires

ForTheCold. “Amongthese

wastheendofa marriage

anda psychoticepisode

thatstemmedfromthe

combinationofanidentity

crisis,a crisisoftoxicbeliefs–

paranoiddelusions– andthe

overwhelmofthemadness

thatexistsin ourworld.”

Somehow,though,hemined

hopefulnessandlightfrom

thatdarkmess,findingthe

music-makingprocessitself

restorative,ashealwayshas.

In explanation,Tolchinquotes

Vietnamese Buddhist monk

ThichNhatHahn’s“nomud,

nolotus”koan.“Forme,the

‘mud’orsufferingoflifehas

resultedin mostofmybest

work.Writingandplayingis

certainlya therapeuticartin

myexperience.In fact,that’s

whatdrewmetomusicas

a teenager.”Thecoverof

LittleFeat’s“RollUmEasy”–

discoveredviaa childhood

jamsessionwitha friendand

hisfather,andfeaturing

guitaristFredTackett–

providessweetuplift:“Forme,

thissongis likeanoldfriend,or

a cosyroomin thehouseyou

grewupin.It alwaysbringsme

a senseofpeaceandI’mvery

gratefulI couldrecordit onthis

album.”SHARON O’CONNELL

JONAHTOLCHIN

Mining light from the darkness...

REVEL ATIONS

JOE DEL TUFO