First published in Metro (Sydney Morning Herald), May 2012
In the opener from LA post-metal trio Marriages, five bursts of down-tuned distortion growl from the undergrowth, then retreat, leaving their hot, predatory breath on your skin and the thrilling question only metal can pose: how heavy is this going to get?
First published in Metro (Sydney Morning Herald), May 2012
Cut loose from the mooring of a unifying concept, This Machine is a series of unrelated pop songs, disparate in sound and spirit, and marred by some real clangers. Enjoy Yourself shoots for anthemic slam-dunk but bounces awkwardly off the hoop and boing-boings around pointlessly, unaided by an ill-advised kazoo, and pleading you to press ‘skip’.
First published in Metro (Sydney Morning Herald), April 2012
A challenge throbs deep in the flesh of this EP from UK dubstep producer Burial: to listen without feeling heart-sore. Just try. And when you fail, trace your fall. You’ll find what’s responsible are the trademark sounds Burial – real name William Bevan –deployed on previous releases to the same devastating emotional effect.
First published in The Big Issue
Please see review in PDF.
First published in The Brag.
Were I Lambchop’s publicist for Mr. M, I’d allow a long lead-time between promo copies and the record’s release date to give critics the longest possible time to let this one marinate. Like furled seedlings, all Lambchop records need time and attention to bloom. All are eventually growers. Especially Mr. M.
