Facing Mediocrity by John Ransom
(Andy Synn wrote the following opinion piece.)
By good fortune I’ve got a rare day off from work today, which means I’ve finally got a little bit of time to dedicate to writing about something that’s been on my mind quite a bit recently.
So bear with me, if you will, and have those flaming pitchforks at the ready, as I go off on one of my signature rants… Continue reading »
(Sooner than anticipated, Andy Synn brings us yet another installment of this series, which focuses on reviews of new records by UK bands — and you’ll find three of those here.)
Remember how I said I had enough collected material for three separate “Best of British” columns (including the one I/we published on Monday)?
Well, I wasn’t lying, and today’s edition features three bands who, in all likelihood, should drum up a lot of interest from our readers.
In fact I’m hopeful that, if you like one of these bands, you’ll like the other two as well! Continue reading »
(Here’s the first of KevinP’s monthly selection of releases for 2016, naming his Top 5 favorite albums released or scheduled for release during January.)
Writing these little “intros” for the monthly picks are by far my least favorite part of what I have to do. I always try and keep it pithy even on the off chance I have something profound to say. So on that note, here we go…… Continue reading »
The day has finally arrived when the many of you out there who have been mesmerized by the songs premiered to date from the new album by Latitudes will have the chance to hear all of it. For those who haven’t yet heard anything from Old Sunlight, something wonderful lies ahead of you.
I’m one of those people who have been mesmerized already — and much to my surprise. It is almost entirely an instrumental album, and when Adam Symonds‘ vocals do appear, they’re often as clear, clean, and delicate as fine crystal. I wouldn’t have guessed ahead of time that I’d be so enthralled by such an album, but Latitudes prove themselves to be powerful spellcasters. Continue reading »
As last year gasped its final breaths we had the pleasure of premiering an amazing song called “Body Within A Body” from Old Sunlight, the new album by the UK’s Latitudes, which will be released by Debemur Morti Productions on January 22. Today we bring you another track from the album, this one named “Altarpieces“.
When I introduced the last premiere, I seem to have simply fountained forth a series of mental images that sprang to mind as I heard the song. It’s hard not to do that in listening to this music. It fires the imagination in a way that makes conventional descriptions of styles and sounds too mundane. “Altarpieces” produces the same effect. Continue reading »
As the old year gasps its final fetid breaths, it’s time to start looking ahead to the new one. On January 22 Debemur Morti Productions will bring us the third album by the UK band Latitudes. Entitled Old Sunlight, it will be a good way to help launch 2016. But you won’t have to wait until January to explore the music, because today we bring you the premiere of a new song: “Body Within A Body“.
As you listen to the song, you may be scratching your heads in puzzlement over our site’s name once again, because this is an exception to our “rule” — but one that’s well-deserved. Beneath the high, clean vocals, drifting like wispy clouds, there is a storm breaking in the music. Mammoth riffs and bruising drum beats smash like a deluge, while dissonant, flickering guitar leads flash like lightning. Continue reading »