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Live Review: Bella and the Bear, Celtic Connections, Glasgow, Broadcast, 27 January 2017

30/1/2017

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We first caught duo Bella and the Bear when they took to the stage at The High Flight, a spoken word and music night in Glasgow.

Given that they were on before lyrical master and all-round creative genius Kate Tempest, it’s a credit to them that their performance was one of the most memorable of the night. So, we were super keen to get along to see their own headline show as part of Celtic Connections on January 27.

The venue was Broadcast, which if you’ve not been to before is a little basement bar on Sauchiehall Street. It’s a stage not dissimilar to Edinburgh’s Henry’s Cellar Bar, but slightly bigger and with a larger bar upstairs. Given our love for slightly shit basement bars (cheap beer, good people and good music seem to be a theme that runs with the basement), we were off to a good start.

Bella and the Bear didn't disappoint. Consisting of Stuart Ramage (vocals, guitar) and Lauren Gilmour (vocals, keyboard), the duo served up a live performance interspersing raw musical talent with thought-provoking lyrics and spoken word. 
Melodies wrap around rhythmic storytelling, at times dream-filled, at others cutting.

It’s clear that they’re both incredibly talented musicians. Stuart's guitar work is intricate but subdued and sparing. And the words are as strong as the vocals, which contrast one-another well, something made good use of throughout their setlist.

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Preview: Be Charlotte Set For Scottish Tour Dates Including Glasgow and Edinburgh

28/1/2017

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At just 19-years-old, Be Charlotte is making quite the name for herself as one of the most promising and innovative upcomers on the Scottish music scene right now.
 
We first caught Be Charlotte at the Hidden Door festival in Edinburgh last summer, and – as with the majority of the acts at that festival, check it out! – we were very impressed.
 
As well as boasting a talent for songwriting and singing, Be Charlotte raps and beatboxes, and often all of the above will be behind the make up of any one of her songs. She’s generating a lot of hype for a very good reason!
 
On the back of dates across Europe, the Dundee musician is now back in her homeland and touring Scotland. She’ll be playing in Glasgow on the 17th at the Garage, the following day at Electric Circus in Edinburgh, and in Aberdeen on the 19th, as well as numerous other stops.
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Check out ‘Machines That Breathe’ above, and for more or to buy a ticket for the Edinburgh date, click here.
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Live Review: Laura Marling, Celtic Connections,  Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 19 January 2017

20/1/2017

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It’s not easy for a guitar-wielding singer to stay the centre of attention when the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra are supporting just a few metres behind.

Credit to English folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling then for managing the feat.

Laura took to the stage at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to open ‘Celtic Connections’, an annual festival bringing eclectic and impressive acts from across Scotland and around the world to Glasgow.

The supports showed the range of variation and talent to expect through the festival – with artists ranging from Saharawi singer and percussionist Aziza Brahim to Irish songwriter Declan O’Rourke and the pick of the pre-Marling entertainment Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, an immensely talented Michigan-based quartet playing bluegrass instruments with irresistible rhythm and melodies.

It was clear from Laura’s opening number though exactly why she had earned the right to headline such an impressive bill.

​An extended rendition of 2013 track ‘I Was An Eagle’ made for the perfect introduction. Marling’s vocals rung around the Concert Hall with a drifting effervescence, the Scottish Symphony Orchestra adding an extra air of majesty whenever the soundtrack called for it. 

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Review: The XX - I See You

13/1/2017

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South London trio The XX have always oozed a sound that seduces best when listened to in isolation, exuding not only musical purity, but vulnerability.

Their eponymous opening record and the Coexist follow up were drenched in pensive atmosphere designed to stroke, strangle or stretch the mind from a pair of worthy headphones, quite possibly while glaring broodingly – the brooding was crucial – into some sort of distant horizon.

It’s evident from track one of I See You that this is no longer the case. Large parts of the third studio album from The XX are equally as suited to some big speakers and a dancefloor than solidarity confinement. It’s evident that The XX have re-found their spark, and that a lot of this has to do with the input of Jamie Smith on the back of global success with his breakout solo album In Colour.

It’s easy to say. But it’s also true.

And The XX have no problem flaunting the huge progression of their sound, either. Actually, they’ve been going out of their way to do so.

There remains numerous songs on I See You that could sit happily on either of The XX’s first two albums, but single releases ‘On Hold’ and ‘Say Something Loving’ are not two of them – and album opener ‘Dangerous’ would not fit the template either.

Right from the get-go The XX want you to know that things are different. The group have thrust the sounds least familiar right to the forefront of their album launch. After a second album geared too tightly around trying to appease and re-develop established ideas, the trio now seem comfortable pushing their tight, albeit gripping, comfort zone.

​Oli Sims sings on ‘Dangerous’ to open the album: “They say we’re in danger / but I disagree / If proven wrong / shame on me / but you’ve had faith in me so I won’t shy away.”


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Review: Bonobo - Migration

12/1/2017

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Bonobo has been the benchmark for some time now. And the singles that came out of Simon Green’s sixth studio album Migration before the 13 January launch date suggested that wasn’t about to change anytime soon.

But they also got us wondering.

Lead single ‘Kerala’ is a picture of perfect production. It unveiled the inspirations from nature that in sound and name lead the album; the track being named after the Indian state where thousands of birds migrate to signal the start of winter.

‘Break Apart’ took the central rhythm and loop from ‘Kerala’ and brought it into more sombre territory. The song followed the same line of production, but drifting vocals from Rhye and sparing piano work make it a more sober listen.

So, was the album going to be based around this irresistible loop throughout, ebbing and flowing from major to minor via basslines, strings and piano chords?

Well… no. ‘No Reason’, the final single before the release of the album, told us that much. The seven-minute electronic epic features Nick Murphy (aka Chet Faker), and it’s probably the only song on Migration that isn’t instantly identifiable as a Bonobo track.

‘No Reason’ pulses an electronic rhythm that feels more industrial than naturalistic, yet there are still hints – a subtle nod to that same loop from the previous singles near the halfway mark. It’s a terrific track, but being so different to the opening two offerings, how was it going to tie together?

I’ve always found that while wildly listenable individually, Bonobo’s albums are at their most poweful when listened through from start to finish. Previous records, particularly Days to Come, Black Sands and the North Borders were sounded so much during my university days that they earned Simon Green a line in the dedication of my undergraduate dissertation (you’re welcome Si).

So, full faith in the man himself, I opened up the review stream of Migration and waited for the magic to happen. And sure enough, there it was. 12 tracks tied together with a perfect amalgamation of organic cuttings, intricate instrumentals and electronic backings well worthy – and there’s not much higher praise at this point – of a place alongside the rest of Bonobo’s esteemed back catalogue.

Opening number ‘Migration’ features Jon Hopkins on piano. Extreme serenity builds into a natural wonder carried with electricity and embedded with jazz-fusion. A euphoric start to the record.

‘Outlier’ is a piece of standalone art, a lengthy banger created from intricate cuttings of various sounds, building over lengthy loops and subtle shifts in sound that demand attention.

It feels devilish to group them into one paragraph (word counts dictate) but ‘Grains’, ‘Second Sun’, ‘Surface’ and ‘Bambro Koyo Ganda’ flow so perfectly through one another that it’s near-impossible not to get lost in the music.

And yet, the transition that takes place from the first of those songs to the fourth is vast. It’s a journey from gradual and pensive to slow-building explosions of sound, expertly crafted with strings and mind-massaging synths that crucially never overwhelm. A wonderful arc.

‘Ontario’ is almost ominous at times; atmospheric with a tinge of wanderlust that bridges the gap to ‘No Bother’.

Closers ‘7th Sevens’ and ‘Figures’ play out the record with an air of subtlety and intricate instrumental work.

Every song on the album would work as a single, and yet each is different enough to make the 12 tracks an enlightening journey.  With so many different sounds, cuts and loops going into each track, for each to compliment and never overpower, and for the record to still come across as at times beautifully minimalistic, is nothing short of genius.

It’s a record that will appease and delight Bonobo’s huge cult following; capable of soundtracking a relaxing stroll but worthy of a listen in isolation in front of the best speakers you own, and certain to hold your attention in any environment.

It’s an album that confirms that Bonobo does not create from template. He innovates through intelligence, ingenuity and draws expertly from inspiration. 

Stuart Kenny

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