Tag: Liverpool UK

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past handful of years, I’ve written quite a bit about the Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet and JOVM mainstays The Vryll Society, and as you may recall, the band, which is comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson have received attention from both this site and across the blogosphere with a series of singles that revealed a sound and songwriting approach that draws from a diverse array of influences, including Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and classic shoegaze.

The Liverpool-based shoegazers latest single “Andrei Rublev” is the first official single from the band’s long-awaited full-length debut, slated for release sometime this summer, and interestingly enough, the song is inspired by Andre Tarkovsky’s 1996 arthouse film Andrei Rublev — and as a result, the deeply meditative song which is centered around boom bap-like drums, a sinuous bass line and some gorgeous guitar manages to nod at both classic shoegaze and 70s AM rock  — all while hinting at an urgent ache for something far bigger than oneself.

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past two years, you’ve likely become familiar with the  Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet The Vryll Society, and as you may recall the quintet, comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson have received attention both on this site and across the blogosphere for a contemporary take on shoegaze that draws from a diverse and eclectic array of influences — including Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child ,krautrock, and others.

Earlier this year, I wrote about “Sacred Flight,” a single that further cemented their growing national and international profile for crafting an enveloping, pedal effected guitar-based sound with soaring hooks and a propulsive, motorik groove; however, the single revealed that the band had been experimenting and expanding upon their sound as there was an increasing emphasis on synths. Personally speaking, the song managed to remind me of my own travels this year — in particular, being in The Netherlands, and how being “a man from far away” was both liberating and profoundly strange. The band’s second single of the year, and second single off their highly-anticipated full-leghth debut, “Shadow Of A Wave” continuee along a similar vein, complete with their signature rousing hooks but with decidedly krautrock/motorik-like groove. And interestingly enough, the song may be the most achingly lovelorn and earnest song they’ve released to date.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson, the members of Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet The Vryll Society have received attention both here and elsewhere across the blogosphere for a sound that draws from a diverse array of influences including  Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and classic shoegaze.

The Liverpool shoegazers’ latest single “Sacred Flight” will further cement their growing reputation for crafting shoegaze with rousingly anthemic hooks, an enveloping sound and slick yet subtly modern production techniques  as the song possesses a shimmering, cosmic glow, some trippy pedal effected guitar work , a propulsive, motorik groove and a soaring, rousingly anthemic hook. And while being a bit of an expansion of the sound that first captured the attention of this site and elsewhere across the blogosphere, the song evokes the sense of freedom, possibility and discovery that can only come from traveling someplace new and far from home. Certainly, as I’ve listened to this song a number of times before writing, I couldn’t help but think of my own recent travels to The Netherlands — and how being more than 3,600 miles from home or from anyone who knows you is a both a liberating and profoundly strange feeling.

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson, the members of Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet The Vryll Society have quickly become JOVM favorites over the better part of the past year for crafting material that initially had been largely inspired by Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and classic shoegaze.

While “Coshh,” the second single off the band’s debut EP Pangea consisted of a tight, motorik-like groove, propulsive, four-on-the-floor drumming, shimmering guitar chords played through layers of reverb and other effects pedals, atmospheric electronics that helped evoke a cosmic sheen and an anthemic hook, Self-Realization,” Pangea‘s third  nodded at  The Verve, as the song structurally twisted, turned and bent at weird and unpredictable angles — with guitar work that also subtly nodded at Nick McCabe’s expansive and expressive sound. The Liverpool-based shoegazers followed those singles with “La Jette,” an ethereal and dreamy single that nodded at contemporary, 6os inspired shoegazers such as  Elephant Stone, Sleepy Sun, Cool Ghouls and others.

 

The band’s latest single “A Perfect Rhythm” manages to simultaneously be a refinement of their sound and a return to form (of sorts) as the band retains the shimmering guitar chords played through a bit of reverb and effects pedals, a tight, motorik-like groove, a rousingly anthemic hook with a complex, rolling drum pattern, plaintive, falsetto vocals and an expansive song structure fittingly held together by the rhythm section. Interestingly enough while the song reminds me quite a bit of A Storm in Heaven-era The Verve, the song also reminds me of A Perfect Circle as it it possesses a broodingly Romantic undercurrent.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Liverpool-based, indie rock quintet ETCHES have started to receive attention across the UK for a batch of singles that reportedly (and subtly) draws from a variety of influences including Tears For Fears, Interpol, electronica, post-punk and psych rock and others; however to my ears, the Liverpool-based quintet’s latest single “Love Is” sounds to my ears as though it were channeling Milagres‘ Violent Light — in particular, I think of “Column of Streetlight” and “Urban Eunuchs” — as the sleek, moody and sultry song possesses elements of R&B, soul, indie rock and pop while thematically touching upon the conflicting (and inherent) push and pull in romantic relationships.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past few months, starting around the end of last year, you may recall coming across a couple of posts about Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet The Vryll Society. Comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson, the band was discovered by Alan Willis, the late founder of Deltasonic Records, who noticed potential in the band and guided the quintet through their development as a band and as songwriters. Over the course of the following year, the British shoegaze quintet locked themselves away in their rehearsal space, where they jammed and began writing material that was inspired by Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and classic shoegaze.

“Coshh,” the second single off the band’s debut EP Pangea had the Liverpool-based quintet pairing a tight, motorik groove consisting of a wobbling bass line and propulsive four-on-the-floor-like drumming, shimmering guitar chords played through layers of reverb and effects pedals, atmospheric electronics, falsetto vocals, anthemic hooks and a cosmic sheen. “Self-Realization,” Pangea‘s third single further cemented the quintet’s growing reputation for shimmering and anthemic shoegaze in an expansive and sprawling song that nodded at  The Verve, as the song structurally twisted, turned and bent at weird and unpredictable angles — with guitar work that also subtly nodded at Nick McCabe’s expansive and expressive sound.

Interestingly, “La Jette,” The Vryll Society’s latest single is a dreamier and ethereal single that hints at the contemporary obsession with the sound of 60s psych rock that sounds as though it draws from the likes of Elephant Stone, Sleepy Sun and others; in other words, shimmering and jangling guitar chords, ethereal vocals and a strutting bass line are paired together in the Liverpool-based quintet’s trippiest, most subdued  and most introspective song to date.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Late last year, I wrote about Liverpool-based shoegaze quintet The Vryll Society. The quintet, comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson, were discovered Alan Willis, the late founder of Deltasonic Records, who noticed potential in the band and guided the quintet through their development as a band and as songwriters. Over the course of the following year, the British shoegaze quintet locked themselves away in their rehearsal space, where they jammed and began writing material that was inspired by Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and classic shoegaze.

Now if you had been frequenting JOVM around then, you’d recall that I wrote about “Coshh,” the second single off the band’s debut EP Pangea. That particular single had the quintet pairing a tight, motorik groove consisting of wobbling bass lines and propulsive four-on-the-floor-like drumming, shimmering guitar chords played through layers of reverb and delay effect pedals, atmospheric electronics and anthemic hooks with ethereal, falsetto vocals to craft a song that possessed a mesmerizing cosmic sheen.

Sonically, the Liverpool-based quintet’s latest single “Self-Realization” will further cement their reputation for shimmering and anthemic shoegaze as the band pairs the prerequisite shimmering guitar chords, a driving motorik groove, wobbling and undulating electronics, twinkling keys and anthemic hooks with ethereal vocals to craft a sprawling song that structurally twists, bends and turns — while sounding as though it subtly nods at The Verve; in fact, the guitar work bears an uncanny resemblance to Nick McCabe’s expansive and expressive sound, all while bearing the cosmic glow that initially caught my attention.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Video Review: The Surreal Video for Space’s “Strange World”

Currently comprised of  founding members Tommy Scott (vocals, guitar), Franny Griffiths (keys), along with Phil Hartley (double bass, bass) and Allan Jones (drums), the Liverpool-based quartet Space can trace their origins back to 1993 when […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Michael Ellis, Ryan Ellis, Lewis McGuinness, Lloyd Shearer, and Benjamin Robinson, the Liverpool-based quintet The Vryll Society were discovered by the visionary and late founder of Deltasonic Records, Alan Willis. who noticed potential in the band and guided the quintet through their development as a band and as songwriters. Over the course of a year, the band locked themselves away in their rehearsal space jamming and writing material that inspired by Funkadelic, Aphrodite’s Child, krautrock and shoegaze. 

“Coshh,” the second single off the band’s soon-to-be released debut EP, Pangea consists of a tight, motorik groove consisting of wobbling bas lines  and propulsive four-on-the-floor-like drumming, gorgeously shimmering guitar chords played through layers of reverb and delay pedals, trembling and atmospheric electronics and anthemic hooks paired with ethereally falsetto vocals, and the end result is a gauzy shoegazer sound that possesses a mesmerizing cosmic sheen.

Over the past few years, there has been a movement within shoegaze as a number of contemporary bands including Presents for Sally, Blackstone Rngrs, Lightfoils, MAFF and others have pushed the boundaries of what shoegaze is supposed to sound like while remaining true to its psychedelic roots — and the members of The Vryll Society have boldly placed themselves on that a growing list of bands participating in what may arguably be one of the most interesting periods in the genre.

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Alan Croft (vocals), Austin Logan (guitar), Paul Jones (bass), Steven Taylor (guitar) and Gareth Dawson (drums), the Liverpool-based quintet Cavalry have quickly caught the attention of major tastemakers such as BBC Radio 1′s […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Album Review: St. Lucia’s When the Night

St. Lucia When the Night Neon Gold Records/Columbia Records Release Date: October 8, 2013 Track Listing The Night Comes Again The Way You Remember Me Elevate Wait for Love All Eyes On You Closer Than […]