#stereo brain

September is always an exciting time for any music fan. It signals the end of festival season and the beginning of touring season. Having booked my tickets 2 months ago I’ve been excited for a while for the start of what promised to be a cracking couple of months. It all kicked of last night with Sleaford Mods.

Having recently moved city to Cardiff following the start of 4 years of uni I was excited to go to a new venue as much as anything. Kicking things of in Y Plas in the Cardiff SU seeing an incredibly politically charged set of bands was a treat. Never before have I seen a gig pull together such an eclectic mix of people. The crowd could have probably been split across three generations yet everyone there connected through a common understanding of what the music meant.

A group like Sleaford Mods aren’t loved for their musical integrity, that’s not what brings three generations together, it’s the pure meaning of the music. The rawness and political anger in the lyrics reflects the feelings of the people in the room. This leads to an electric atmosphere, less of a gig, more of a political rally, don’t get me wrong people bop along and mosh but everyone watches with an eagerness, listening to the words, it’s electric.

When I first booked tickets, I was extremely nervous about how Sleaford Mods would sound in a live situation, sounding as different as they do. Conventionally one guy shouting methodically into a microphone while his mate hits play on a laptop doesn’t sound like a great prospect but they nailed it. Can’t wait for what they have in store in th future, and what the rest of gig season holds.

2/?

Don Broco's debut album 'Priorities' is exactly what is needed for people who like grumpy yet catchy rock music. With hits like 'Whole Truth' and 'Let's Go Back To School' it was a sing, dance and shout along album. It's been almost exactly 3 years since that and the bands long anticipated second album has been released.

'Automatic' follows along the same lines as their debut, the same distinctive vocals and lyrics, however they have taken a slight swing towards the mainstream; even catchier songs and a bit of a lighter sound might just make this album a hit with a wider audience.

The title track has got to be one of my favourites on the album, extremely catchy with a good beat it is bound to have everyone singing along as they tour the festivals this summer. This along with songs like ‘Nerve’ and ‘Fire’ should keep everyone bouncing along.

After the success of ‘Tape Deck Heart’, album number 6 from Frank Turner had a lot to live up to. Dubbed as the album which launched Frank Turner into the public eye along with his appearance at the Olympic opening ceremony three years ago, it was going to be a hard act to follow, however ‘Positive Songs For Negative People’ has lived up to every expectation.

With sing along anthems like ‘Get Better’ and ‘The Next Storm’, the album highlights a new direction in Frank’s music, reflecting his feelings and a turn for the better in his personal life. These songs are extremely difficult to not dance down the street to, or at least mouth along to while looking like an idiot to everyone else.

What I love about Frank Turner is he can write anthems but also craft songs like ‘Mittens’, ‘Demons’ and ‘Josephine’ which to an untrained ear sound very upbeat but listening to the lyrics it still reflects Franks emotional intensity which you can hear a lot more obviously in his previous albums. Despite this being less obvious, his way with words is still present and is rivalled by very few songwriters (a close second to Scott Hutchison in my book but that’s just me (still waiting for a collaboration guys)).

More importantly he revisits his old stripped down style in this album, not seen as much in ‘Tape Deck Heart’, and there are a few more intimate songs such as ‘The Angel Islington’ and especially ‘A Song For Josh’ which certainly brings a tear to the eye in a touching tribute for his friend who committed suicide in 2013. These songs recognise the journey Frank’s been on and despite this album being titled as ‘Positive’, there are still bad times in anyone’s life. Songs like these show that you have to move through the bad times to make the good times better, a theme present throughout the album.

Overall this is a stunning album, reflective of Frank’s usual skilful lyricism but with a positive twist: 9.5/10

The subtle plucking of guitars, faint drumming, a slow build. The lead guitar hits in, building the noise until the ghostly vocals set in. The tune begins to create layer upon layer, brass, piano, an ongoing and uplifting experience. The title track of The Bronze Medals debut album 'Darlings' is magnificent, a crescendo of noise, a beautiful and eerie masterpiece. A sound fans of the Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit and To Kill A King will love, subtle lyrics and chilling melodies sound as if they come from a much more accomplished band than one releasing their first album. This is what The Bronze Medal are though, having been on the scene for 5 good years, plucking away waiting for the moment and building a fan base. Where many bands rush into their first album leaving them with a raw sounding unpolished outcome, The Bronze Medal haven't and that means that the sound of the band is much clearer. You feel that this is exactly what the band where going for.

Dubbed 'The masters of the indie slow-build” by The Times, it's very difficult to disagree with them, all of the 9 tracks on the album have the distinct style of the band while remaining individual and excellent tracks. Playing dates with The Maccabees this summer could boost their breakout and to be acknowledged by the wider music community. This is exactly what they deserve after years of polishing their music into what you hear today. Unfortunately, however they are on the long list of bands that deserve a wider audience for their fantastic sound

Nonetheless the album is an incredible debut, an absolute work of art: 8.5/10

The first thing that strikes you about the new Sleaford Mods is next to every song title in brackets is the words explicit. This is what the world should expect from the angry post punk/hip hop/new wave duo from Nottingham. To an untrained ear it sounds very much like an angry 40-something year old far from tunefully shouting into a microphone while his mate plays some beats on his sampler. I mean that is exactly what it is but it's brilliant. Rapped in a East Midlands accent you feel it captures the attitude of a large percentage of the population, angry at unemployment, celebrities and modern working life almost forcing the voice of the public to be heard. There is nothing better than a gritty politically motivated protest song, which is a hit with the older generation with memories of the original punk movement, however there new album Key Markets, released today, I believe will be a hit with a younger generation who are very much disheartened and discontent with the world and government of today.

The lyrics brilliantly constructed by the bands singer/rapper Jason Williamson have been compared to the punk poet John Cooper Clarke, high praise indeed. However you feel as though Sleaford Mods is a step forward from the man who became famous in the 70's, a modernisation and a way to reach out to both the older and younger generation and rebuild another age of rebellion

The joys of the new album are endless, Face to Faces being a favourite track of mine along with No Ones Bothered, however every track captures the essence of the duo. The track that originally had me listening to Sleaford's tracks was there hit off the album Divide and Exit 'Tied Up In Nottz' (With a Z you c***) a fantastic and angry portrait of modern life which isn’t kind on the ears but good for the mind.

Album Review: 8/10 A brilliant post punk masterpiece, would recommend

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Key-Markets-Sleaford-Mods/dp/B00XB6UNEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437737586&sr=8-1&keywords=sleaford+mods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleafordmods

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